Corrupting a Demon
by QueenCheetah
Summary: AU- Many years ago, a great war left a bitter divide between the angels and the demons. But will one small angel have the courage to change both worlds? Tendershipping, with Bronze and Puzzleshipping. BxR, MxM, YYxY
1. Angelic Ascension

The early morning skies seemed unusually bright that dawn. The day had finally come. It was meant to be a day of both bittersweet farewells, and great rejoicing.

The highest of the angels, the upholder of the heavenly laws, was officially stepping down.

The Archangel, King Solomon, was finally retiring. His heir, Prince Yugi, would become the new chancellor of their holy realm.

There would be many various ceremonies and celebrations, to honor the old and herald the new. The most festive events were built around the ascension ceremony for the young angel.

But their was also a third event taking place this day: an ancient ceremony of great importance. After all, the new leader would need a guardian to help protect him. Therefore, the holy counsel had been brought together; and it was divined that the strongest of the Powers clan would serve this task. Akefia, a rather wild but brave fighting angel, would become the next High Guardian of their people. He was a high commander of his people's army, and a very spirited warrior.

Prince Yugi was quite unnerved when he realized who would be his body guard for the next several centuries- Akefia could be a bit, erm, destructive. As in, "that new recruit insulted me, so I stole all his personal items during training practice and buried them in a thundercloud."

But the tradition was clear: the leader was to be a kind and sage angel of honorable standing; and he would be joined by a strong and battle-wise angel to act as his enforcer.

As the preparations for the occasion continued, one small angel was dashing about like mad. His hickory-tinted eyes were wide with fear. The pale cherub went largely ignored as he rushed about, searching for something.

The principality-class angel cried out as he finally saw what he sought. "MALIK!"

The white-haired cherub was gasping for breath. His confused friend, Malik of the protector-class, quickly ran to his friend.

"Ryou! What's wrong?!"

Ryou was the younger half-sibling of Akefia. Despite this, he was a rather small and clumsy angel. He seemed to have none of the boldness and physical ability of his elder brother. Indeed, he had inherited the more intellectual tendencies of a scholarly-type angel. This was not entirely odd, as they were technically only half-brothers. However, they were so close that they (and many others) felt no other title would suit their bond than that of 'brothers'.

From a young age on, the shy youth had found that he greatly enjoyed working in the Great Library. All the knowledge of their celestial kingdom was contained in the ancient tomes, and Ryou revered them as the greatest treasures in all the realms. He was quite content to leave the limelight to his older, warrior sibling- Akefia always enjoyed being under the public eye, whereas Ryou found the mere thought terrifying. But they bonded quite well over their common interests, and bickered playfully over everything else.

Unfortunately, Akefia's stubbornness sometimes did cause problems. Problems that occasionally became disastrous.

The white-haired angel spoke in an urgent whisper that screamed of tension. "Malik- it's _bad_. It's Akefia- he's gotten worse."

Malik's eyes widened- he was one of the only two angels who knew the secret that Ryou meant. A secret that even Ryou himself was not even supposed to be aware of.

Akefia had been temporarily crippled.

Ryou's muscular half-brother had been injured while saving a younger warrior during a training practice. The adolescent angel was only on his second real 'flight' above the clouds, and made a deadly mistake. The inexperienced youth had flown too high, and developed wing cramps from the icy air. He had fallen so quickly that Akefia just barely caught him. But the guard's right arm had been broken in the process. He was able to hide it from the rest of his comrades, but it would take at least a week to heal without the aid of another angel's healing powers.

And he never told anyone- Ryou only discovered the injury when he accidentally walked in on his brother making a crude splint. Akefia had not seen him, but Ryou could deduce what had happened.

And when he learned of the battle part of the upcoming ascension ceremony, he was horrified- his brother was in no condition to stand up to a demon! 'Ceremonial' or not, demons were not known to take their fights lightly. In fact, many angels considered them to be nearly barbaric due to the large emphasis their culture placed on physical battle. So Ryou had quickly raced off to find his best friend.

"Malik, I need your help!"

The blonde combatant quickly nodded. "Anything- what do you need?"

"I need you to find your sister's apothecary supplies- we need fennel, lavender, and poppy extract."

Malik's older sister, Ishizu, was a very wise and highly-regarded healer- she was skilled in both holy incantations and natural cures. She could heal a broken arm, sure enough; but it would be impossible for two adolescent angels to force a messenger to go to her chambers without asking any questions.

But even if they managed to trick Akefia into willingly seeing her, there was still a major problem. It would be her duty to report to the prince that his future guardian was harmed; and Ryou knew that could not happen.

It was imperative that the transference of the leadership came with the impression of strength and stability. In reality, the war between the angels and the demons was still on-going- no actual treaty had ever been forged between the two sides. If the angel's strongest warrior appeared to have been injured in a mere training exercise... well... such a conveyance of weakness could lead the demon king to launch an attack and take advantage of such vulnerability.

Malik was usually far more carefree, but right now he was panicking as his friend explained his hastily-hewn plan.

"But Ryou, you don't even know _how_ to fight!"

The paler youth shook his head nervously. "I'm the only angel who looks enough like him- if I can just make it look convincing for a few minutes, then maybe the demon king won't care!"

"..." Malik's golden wings drooped slightly as he sighed. "I can't believe it- _you're_ the one with a reckless plan." He gave a feeble laugh before adding, "but, I'll help. I should be able to get the herbs from her store without much fuss- everyone's really busy preparing for the ascension."

"Thank you." Ryou's voice was trembling with gratitude as his friend turned to head down the stone hall. "The ceremony starts at mid-day. I'll put the herbs in his morning tea- he should sleep for a few hours."

The darker-skinned angel sighed again as he walked briskly down the well-lit corridors.. Usually he was the one to come up with the 'crazy' plans.

'D*mn, I hope this works.'

~.~.~

Meanwhile, the resigning king was looking out over the arena which would hold most of the major events of the day. His silver hair was wildly spiked under a nearly matching crown of white gold and blue diamonds. His aged eyes were staring intently at the field below. His beloved grandson would soon be standing there, ready to take the role he was born to-

"Your highness?" A middle-aged seraph politely addressed the still-current leader. "Is something troubling you?"

"Oh, nothing-" King Solomon managed a light chuckle as he spoke, "-just looking forward to my quiet retirement."

The adjutant smiled knowingly, and left the older royal to his thoughts. The ruler had many loyal subjects, and his kingdom was flourishing. But still... King Solomon felt a weariness in his heart that had grown heavier every day. Normally it would be his son who would be ascending the throne... but the incident at Northern peaks had taken the life of his only child eons ago.

'Such foolish bickering... so many lives were lost that day. And for what? Nothing has changed between our peoples..." The monarch closed his eyes and shook his wrinkled brow in contemplation. "I can only pray that my dear Yugi will be able to help unite our sides one day... though I may not live to see it...'

For thousands and thousands of years, the angels and the demons had been on very tense ground. Their had been a terrible war eons ago, and countless warriors died on both sides. So the two realms came to a very tentative agreement that they would not go to war again without a powerful reason.

Unfortunately, an unexpected deception was soon to provide them with such a reason.


	2. Cherubic Contrivance

Ryou nervously bit his lip as he stepped forwards. He could hear the throngs of angels and demons cheering and jeering from behind the heavy, wooden doors of the arena. His face was mostly hidden by the helmet of his brother's armor, but his white hair still showed through the side and back slats.

'No going back... I must to do this.' Ryou waited in the dark preparation hall, listening carefully. He felt hot and stifled. His feet and chest were wrapped in cloth- his elder brother's armor would never fit otherwise. He felt his stomach do several flips as the arena fell silent. Then, an announcement from the angel's high herald:

" _ **Have you chosen your champions?"**_

Unaware of the last-minute change, Prince Yugi gave a rather stiff nod. Across the stadium, a dark shadow seemed to surround the opposite figure. The mysterious being also nodded. The demon king was cloaked in shadows- as he always was. It was rumored that only his closest confidants were allowed to see his true form. No one beyond his inner circle- demon or otherwise- had even seen his face.

Ryou listened, his stomach twisting as he heard the herald's deafening declaration: _**"The champion for the Underlands- 'Bakura!'"**_

Ryou peered through the slats of the heavy wooden doors. The combatant from the lower realms was simply known as 'Bakura,' but Ryou had heard of him. He was said to be a battle-hungry demon with little empathy for angels. And the look on his face seemed to support this rumor. An arrogant grin was showing on his sharp features, and his blood-red eyes radiated over-eagerness.

Yes, Bakura the warrior relished combat, and he was dying to square off against heaven's elite. There was no denying that demons loved to fight; but for some of them, it was almost vital.

The dusty battleground was soon stirred as the demon impatiently strode to the center of the sphere. He stood and waited with his arms folded stoically. The stadium voices on both sides grew more frenzied as the herald made his second announcement:

" _ **The champion for the Overlands- 'Akefia!'"**_

Ryou felt like he might faint, but he stiffly stepped towards the opening doors. The massive arena seemed to be surrounded by a sea of rowdy onlookers. Far too soon, the small angel realized his feet had led him to the center of the ring. He gulped as he looked upon the foreign creature he was facing. But his fears shifted slightly as he noticed something odd. The demon in front of him had a strangely similar mane of white hair- most demons had darker colored hair. But the intrigued angel had little time to ponder this oddity- a loud trumpet sounded, signifying the start of the match.

Ryou raised his sword in the customary battle signal. The smirking demon copied his motion, and suddenly, the two were in combat.

Ryou winced as the demon's blows nearly struck the gaps in his armor. He forced himself to remember the meager training he'd received decades ago. The angel's original strategy of staying out-of-reach was quickly dashed. The slender scholar wasn't prepared to face such a fleet fiend.

The mismatched angel could feel himself quickly losing his breath as they moved. 'By the sky; he's too fast!'

Most demons were rather bulky in nature, and tended towards brute force. But this opponent was slim and skilled. It was all Ryou could do to avoid the lightning-fast blows.

There was soon jeering from the foreign half of the arena. Many of the demons were teasing 'Akefia' for dancing away from the enemy's strikes.

'If I can just avoid him a bit longer- maybe I can wear him down enough to- _ACK!_ '

The unfortunate angel suddenly tripped over a loose stone on the battlefield. Without pause, the demon quickly brought his weapon down onto the angel's. There was a deafening _***CLANG!***_ as the two blades clashed in a vicious show of power. The entire arena fell into a silent shock as Ryou dropped the sword. He had never been any good at battle training, and the well-timed blow caused him to let go of his weapon.

The demon himself was surprised, but he knew an opening when he saw one. The angel was trying to lean down towards the fallen sword, but Bakura would not allow him to retrieve it.

A powerful kick to the head stopped the angel. Ryou was knocked backwards by the force, and his mind began reeling in pain and confusion. Suddenly, there was a faint rumbling noise in the distance. It took the angel a moment to realize that something was horribly wrong. The demon combatant was staring at him in disbelief.

Ryou's helmet had fallen off. It rolled mockingly in the dirt; its shiny surface reflecting the image of a very scrawny, nervous angel.

The entire crowd fell silent. Every angel and demon _knew_ that Akefia was an extraordinarily powerful angel; a warrior with dark skin, fiery eyes, and hard muscle.

This scrawny little imposter was obviously _not_ Akefia.

It started as a dull hum, but eventually the entire audience began yelling in shock and outrage. The angels were horrified that something had (apparently) happened to their highest guard; while the demons were furious at what they took to be a colossal insult.

Prince Yugi was stunned, and his jaw nearly dropped in disbelief. 'No- Ryou?!' But his thoughts were interrupted by the furious howling of the demonic monarch.

"You dare insult us?!" The shadowy lord bellowed from the opposite end of the stadium. "You promised us that this would be a show of your best abilities, and yet you send a pathetic _child_ to fight us?!" Though his face was still hidden, it was obvious when the demon king turned his attention to the field. He pointed one shrouded hand at the still-downed imposter. "What say you, _'great warrior of heaven'_?"

Ryou managed to twist and shift his weight until he was on his knees. He kept his gaze aimed squarely on the dirty arena floor. He couldn't help but shiver as he addressed the demon king himself.

"Your grace, diplomatic substitutions are allowed under the current agreement between the realms. I meant no offense by my substitution; nor did my liege hold any awareness. It was foolish attempt at an obvious concealment, manufactured solely by myself."

There was an eerie silence as the crowd listened to this tiny angel. Thankfully, Malik was still (presumably) tending to the unconscious Akefia, and could not interrupt to correct his friend's statements.

Ryou's voice wavered only slightly as he spoke. "Yet I would not wish to drive our forces further apart by my rash actions." He bowed his head a little lower, his white bangs slipping over his face. "And so, I offer my life as a token for the treaty. To prove the sincerity of our commitment to any proposed truce."

Prince Yugi gasped in horror, but the other ruler spoke before he could.

"Interesting- but it would only dishonor our guardian to slaughter such a weak foe."

Indeed, the demonic fighter looked very irritated, as though the angel was a fly that refused to leave the room. The experienced warrior leered at the weaker male. He shifted his blade so the sunlight shone off the sharp, metal surface- a silent threat.

Ryou knew his actions would likely end in death if he was discovered. Very soon, that same blade would likely be buried in his own-

"I will, however, accept your offer." The Underlands King declared in a loud voice.

The little angel blinked in puzzlement. Was the demon lord planning to have someone else execute him? It would be quite unusual- generally, the offended (in this case either 'Bakura' or the Demon King himself) would be the one to carry out such a punishment. It was a common mindset in both angelic and demonic cultures. But apparently the dark ruler had something else in mind.

"You will be brought back with us, to our realm."

The entire crowd fell silent in disbelief.

Prince Yugi was horror-stricken. His jaw nearly dropped as he struggled to overcome his dismay. Eventually, the yet-to-be-appointed ruler cried out to the darker monarch. "What?! And why would you seek to bring one of our peoples to the Underlands?!"

"We've never had an angel in our realm before-" the demonic ruler paused before correcting himself,

"-well, not for more than a few days, at most."

Some of the warrior angels bristled- they had heard stories of the war prisoners who never made it back alive. The Underlands were a cruel place for beings of light.

"He will remain a living reminder of our agreement, and will be taken care of... as best as possible."

Prince Yugi knew that he was at a severe disadvantage- the ceremony had been irrevocably interrupted, and he was not officially the King of the Overlands yet. Plainly put, he was still just a prince; while the Underlands King was a true monarch. The former King, Solomon, could only watch in despair as well. He was even more powerless, as the stripping of his own title was one of the first acts of the ceremony. Right now, the upper lands had no true ruler.

And the demon king knew this. "You will be given five minutes to say your farewells, and then you will be held by my guards until we reach the dark portal."

Some murmuring began to build amongst the anxious crowd, but it was quelled when Prince Yugi appeared on the field. He nearly ran to his long-time friend, grasping his pale hands in his own as he spoke. "Ryou..." The young leader held back his tears as he tried to say a formal farewell. His voice hitched as he pleaded with his ally. "Please... do you really realize what you are doing? This cannot end well for you."

Ryou could hardly hold back his own tears as he hugged his long-time friend. "I chose this path- I must follow it. Please give my brother my regards. I pray he will understand, someday..." Choking up, the bereaved angel could only shake his head as he let go of his ally. "Fair skies, my liege."

"Fair skies, Ryou." The leader nodded with tears in his eyes as they exchanged the traditional angelic adieu. Prince Yugi and the other angels watched with despair as their young brethren was led to the opposite side of the stadium. There was a heavy wooden door, painted in black and covered with old, runic markings.

Behind that door lay a special ceremonial stone- a grey, circular carving of rock that was inlayed with very powerful stones. The magics of angels and demons from long ago had been forced into the stones, and now they had the power to rip across the very divides separating the realms. It was also the only way for the demons to enter the Upperlands without such travelings being treated as an act of war. The portal was only opened for very specific ceremonies- most of which only occurred once in a millennia.

"The portal only allows for two travelers at a time. You will be sent with my guard, Akage. Understand?" The enshrouded Demon King looked at the trembling angel with unusual consideration. The guard next to him, however, looked far less pleased by this arrangement, but didn't dare speak up.

"Y-yes, sire." Ryou nodded as he stared into the whirling, purple-black abyss that was the dark portal. He'd only heard stories about the entryway to the demon realm. Ryou swallowed reflexively as he was led up to the stones.

They hadn't been very pleasant-sounding stories.

The king looked over the guard, who had one hand firmly around both the angel's wrists. He nodded in approval and commanded, "Go."

The guard tugged on the angel's arms, and the pair stepped into the swirling fog.

The portal-traversing itself was very unpleasant experience, one Ryou wasn't eager to repeat. He felt his body being smothered and pressured as he was displaced by the eerie waves of eternity. There was an unnerving silence in the void, like the absence of all sound. Even his own heartbeat was muted in the supernatural space. His eyes took in nothing but the purple-and-black wisps of what looked like thin clouds.

Ryou soon felt nauseated, and he gasped as he felt his body hit something hard. The unearthly feelings vanished, and he almost felt a moment of joy before realizing that he was no longer amongst friends.

"Welcome to the Demon Realm." The still-hidden king added as he stepped gracefully onto the stone floor. "Your new home."


	3. Shackled Seraph

_Ryou soon felt nauseated, and he gasped as he felt his body hit something hard. The unearthly feelings vanished, and he almost felt a moment of joy before realizing that he was no longer amongst friends._

" _Welcome to the Demon Realm." The still-hidden king added as he stepped gracefully onto the stone floor. "Your new home."_

The group's relocation to the demon realm was immediately evident. It felt foreign and unnerving to the pale angel. Every sense of his being was disorientated by the change.

Without a word, the demon king gestured to his guards, and the troupe moved forward down the hall. Ryou tried to subtly look about as he was guide along the winding, stone corridors. He could feel an unfamiliar heaviness in the air- the Underlands were said to be filled with thick bogs and volcanic mountain peaks. Between the cycles of the ash and the fog, it was very stifling. Not to mention there was a lack of natural light- the angelic realm was much closer to the 'Great Star,' or sun, than this domain. Long, wax candles lined the cold, metal sconces along the castle walls. 'They must rely on other means of illumination...' The slender angel suppressed a shiver as he realized he would need to adjust to this dark dimension.

Every member of the strange transport paused at a word from the hidden leader. "Wait. I must inform my other council members of this new... guest." The strange, misty outline of the demon king shifted forward. "Yet I know they will expect him to be well-guarded, particularly for the first few weeks." The up-most portion of the shape seemed to nod in the direction of one of the guards. "I want him prepared and brought to my chambers within an hour. We have much to discuss."

The sharp pang of reality hit the young cherub, and his head drooped slightly. 'So, this is truly happening...' He felt a single tear slide down his cheek. 'I hope Akefia can forgive me... and I wish I could have at least said goodbye to Malik...'

But there was little time for regrets, as a particularly nasty-looking guard suddenly wrenched Ryou's arm. His black hair was wild and unkempt, and hung past his overly-muscled arms. But it was the grin on his mud-colored face that was most unnerving. "You'll need to be processed before seeing the king again." The fiendish guard added a chuckle at the end, leading the angel to even greater anxiety.

'Processed? What does that mean?'

Slowly, the hour nearly passed, and Ryou struggled not to cry as he was led down the main hall of the demon king's castle. He had been stripped of his beautiful, silken-blue robes and re-dressed in a rough, mud-colored garment. A heavy, steel collar had been locked around his neck, and there was a thick, iron chain attached to the front. His 'transport guard' gleefully yanked on the chain whenever he felt the dazed angel slow or stumble.

Word of the events from earlier that day had spread swiftly, and a large crowd of demons was lined up on either side of the hall. They dared not harm him, under their supreme monarch's orders. But they still cursed and jeered at the light figure as he was dragged along. Ryou struggled not to flinch at the crude insults hurled at his form. He had never felt such hatred and revulsion. Most of the words were spoken in the common tongue, but he made out a few ancient demonic curses as well.

"Keep movin'!" The black-haired guard snarled when Ryou faltered. He kept his head down as he was crudely drawn past a set of ornate double-doors. He noticed that they were now stepping on a very beautiful, dark-scarlet rug fringed with golden symbols and tassels.

'This must be the king's chambers.' The scared cherub finally glanced upwards. There, seated on a sturdy throne of gold and rubies, sat the covert figure of the demon king. Next to him stood a very tall, imposing demon with icy-blue eyes. The two cobalt orbs rested beneath a surprisingly neat coif of walnut-toned hair.

'That must be the demon king's main advisor- and he looks very strict...'

"Ah- so our guest has been prepared. Good." The royal fiend was still obscured behind the odd, dark fog that seemed to surround him. Clearly it was a magical incantation meant to hide the fiendish leader. Ryou wondered why the demonic leader would need to stay hidden, but his thoughts were violently jarred when he heard the taller demon speak.

"I take it you want us to remove his feathers?"

Ryou's eyes widened in horror. The demonic ruler nodded in consent. "Yes- be sure to cut the wings close to the joint."

An angel's feathers could grow back, but if the top arches of Ryou's wings were destroyed, they would never regenerate. The young cherub felt his stomach twisting in fear. The angels lived in an open realm, with many low, beautiful clouds. For them, flying brought a joy and freedom that could never be replaced. The thought of never flying again was beyond distressing.

Horrified, the angel dropped to his knees and openly groveled. He faced the ground and cried out to the demon leader: "Oh please, Sir! Please, I beg of you; do not remove my wings!" Everyone watched in confusion as the light being pleaded fervidly. "I will gladly be subjected to anything else, but please; allow me to keep them intact!"

The king's befogged head shifted as he looked thoughtfully at the captive. He was not a monster, despite what some people thought. Though there were many cultural differences between angels and demons, they were still _all_ sentient beings with conscience.

The leader frowned and pointedly waved a shadowed hand towards the room's large windows. "But with your wings still functional, you might escape."

It was very common knowledge that angels were faster in the air than the demons. It was believed that their light, bird-like build and strong wings kept them aloft much easier. Whereas the demons were a brawnier race who usually kept to the ground- especially when fighting.

The terror-stricken angel quickly replied in an effort to entreaty the demonic ruler. "Please, sir... is- is there no other way to hinder my flight?"

"We could trim his feathers." The supposed-advisor pointed out, his tone rather dull.

But to everyone's shock, the angel himself shook his head. "I don't believe that would be satisfactory to your guards- our feathers grow back quite fast."

There was a moment of intense silence while the demon king eyed the angel's wings. He suddenly nodded. "I think I have a solution." He pointed to a large demon standing near the door. "Guard. Fetch me a small pair of clasps."

Ryou was bewildered- 'clasps?' but he remained silent as he anxiously waited. He hoped the 'clasps' wouldn't do any permanent damage.

He was almost pleasantly surprised when the guard returned with what looked to be a pair of shackles- only they were thinner and longer.

Ryou's wings were easily folded up, and the guard quickly snapped the clasps over the main joints. Each unit was then locked in place with a steel padlock.

It was very effective; the angel could not unfurl his wings more than an inch or two. Apparently the 'clasps' were used to help keep imprisoned demons from fighting back or escaping.

Ryou gave a respectful bow to the dark ruler. "Thank you for your mercy, sir."

The demon king nodded with stoic silence, but inside, he was flabbergasted. 'He just _thanked_ me for immobilizing him. Are all angels this odd?'

There was a sudden sound of approaching footfalls on the stone floor. Ryou's joy at having avoided mutilation soon dissolved when he saw the newcomer.

'Oh, no...' The captive's eyes grew wide as he recognized the same face that had stared down at him earlier that same day.

The demon king nodded vaguely towards the newcomer. "This is Bakura."

The pale warrior was still obviously bitter, and Ryou could almost feel the heat coming off his furious frame. The ireful warrior clearly felt he had been humiliated by his inept opponent.

"Bakura will be your personal guard from now on." The king decided not to add, 'as we have no other use for him.'

The little angel gulped as he looked at his previous 'adversary'. The hostile fiend had a look on his face that suggested that he was _highly_ resentful of his new position. His crimson eyes were narrowed in distaste, and his demonic fangs were clearly visible.

Ryou had to bite his bottom lip. His stomach felt like it was full of twisting, writhing ropes.

The angry fighter suddenly flung out a pale arm and pointed harshly at the angel. "Why the _bloody hell_ am _ **I**_ made to be this thing's damned babysitter?!"

The dark king internally groaned. It did not matter what task he was assigned; the eternally displeased Bakura would always protest. "You know this castle well- you know how to block escape routes, prevent sabotage, and lead transfers. You are also our second strongest fighter, and can overpower him- should he become a problem, that is."

 _'Second strongest?!'_ The angel was shocked. He looked around the room, but no one else seemed at all surprised by this statement. The light being's eyes blinked in silent bewilderment. It must be a known fact, Ryou decided. But why would the demon king have sent someone beneath his top guard for the ceremonial battle? _'Strange...'_

Apparently, the demonic monarch wasn't done with his instructions. "I want you to take the angel to the first room on the upper floor of the Eastern spire. It should be free and ready, with all the necessary amenities prepared." The shadowy sovereign waited until he was given a single, begrudging nod before adding: "See that he is well tended to, then lock the door behind you. You will escort him to the dining hall later this evening. Is that understood?"

"Tch..." The clearly furious demon didn't reply immediately. Ryou could still sense the rage hidden beneath the seething frame. The angel tried not to make any loud sounds or rapid movements. He really didn't want to aggravate the pale demon further. Suddenly, the furious 'babysitter' grabbed the metal chain and gave it a harsh tug. " _Fine_ \- move your *ss, cloud-sucker!"

Ryou gasped as he stumbled after his new 'personal guard.' He felt a growing sense of foreboding as the resentful protector continued moving forwards. He never bothered to see if his captive could even keep up. Though the clasps weren't terribly heavy, Ryou _was_ growing tired.

Still, the overwhelmed angel tried to keep up with his guard as best he could. The shy little cherub marched silently behind the demon, Bakura; internally reflecting on his fate. 'Oh... I _really_ wish the king would have chosen another bodyguard. I don't think this one likes me very much... and he's rather careless with his... vulgarities.'


	4. Painful Plunge

It was far beyond awkward- the only sounds were the jangling of the shackle chains and the heavier footfalls of the demonic guard. Ryou's own form made little noise as he trailed after the crude demon. Bakura gave no guidance or even orders; merely expecting the tiring angel to follow him without question.

They were about half-way through the castle's inner corridors when Ryou saw something unusual. It was an animal that he had only seen illustrated in ancient reference books. He couldn't help but halt in curiosity as the creature stalked towards them. Rich, black fur covered the mammal's muscular form, and multiple pairs of glowing red eyes blinked on top of its head. The captive smiled and stood his ground as the four-legged beast drew closer.

This, of course, drew the notice of the demonic guard, who instantly yelled at the angel.

"What are you doing, you moron?! That's a _**hell-hound**_ \- they _hate_ angels! He'll rip your arms off!"

Ryou ignored his guard and knelt down on the cool hall stones. He slowly held out his right arm and smiled with his eyes both closed.

"Well, hello there!"

The white-haired demon stood stock-still as the underworld creature stepped forward. The hell-hound gave the angel's hand a tentative sniff. At first the creature only tilted his head in confusion, but then his thick, black tail started wagging as he accepted the foreign scent. The young angel took this to be a good sign, and began cautiously stroking the creature's lustrous fur. The demonic beast closed his eyes in enjoyment as the little angel began scratching behind his two pointed ears.

Ryou smiled happily. He spoke in a soft croon that barely echoed in the hall. "Your fur is beautifully soft... and you're so very warm."

Bakura was completely flabbergasted. _'The h*ll?!'_ But the guard wasn't amused by the delay, and soon pulled the disappointed 'guest' away from the creature. "Stupid freakin' angels... HERE." He shoved the timid captive towards an open doorway.  
"This is your room now-" he sneered nastily, "-it's a lot nicer than the dungeons, but if you give me _one_ excuse to throw you down there- any single thing!- and you'll be hanging from the walls! Got it?!"

Ryou nearly yelped as he was again shoved, this time through the iron-edged door-frame. The demon soon followed, slamming the heavy door shut behind them. Both the door and the windows had thick, iron bars covering them. The angel sighed as he looked around the small, bare space.

'Even if I was _thinking_ of escaping...' The room's new inhabitant thought despondently.

There was sudden a knock on the closed door, and Bakura snarled as he walked back to the iron frame. "WHAT?!"

"Easy, _babysitter_ ; I'm here on behalf of our beloved King."

The other voice sounded strangely familiar to Ryou- but he couldn't imagine where he might have heard it. There were no demons in the heavens- at least, none that were still living.

"Get to the d*mn point." Bakura hissed at the closed door.

"I have a message from his royal-pain-in-the-*ss: 'Take the angel to the Alchemist. I wish to have the clasps enchanted so that they may not be removed without the permission of myself or Seto. He will be expecting your arrival.'"

"Are you serious?!" Ryou felt himself flinch as the demon seemed to swell with fury. "Fan-f*cking-tastic! This day is just full of lovely surprises, isn't it?!"

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger. Listen, you get back here before midnight, and I'll share that bottle I swiped from the royal liquor cellar last week."

"Hnn." Bakura seemed to fall into a sullen acceptance. He turned and grabbed the angel's arm, nearly yanking the poor youth off his feet. "C'mon, we're going."

"Eh?" Ryou was shocked by the sudden order, "Um, may I ask where we're going?"

"Not that it matters, but the alchemist- those chains aren't coming off any time soon."

"Oh, ok." Ryou was still confused- the other demon had sounded like he was mentioning a necromancer, yet apparently they were going to find an alchemist? 'I wonder if demons have different names for those who use magics and metals than we do...'

"Hurry up! Geez, are all you angels so slow and runty?!" The angry guard was currently using an old, silver key to unlock the bars across the room's largest window. Ryou apologized as he scurried over towards the outer wall. Without word, Bakura turned and grabbed something from the corner of the room. It looked like a combination of metal armor and strong leather straps.

"Here. Put it on, and then we're going out that way." The demon pointed towards the large, open window frame.

Ryou felt himself growing panicked- had his guard forgotten about the shackles?!

"W-wait! I cannot fly with my wings clasped like this!"

"Tch, you truly think I'm a fool?!" He glared down at the slightly shorter being. "I am well aware of your damned 'jewelry'- you're not flying today, or any other day from now on!"

"Um, then how-?"

"We demons have far greater strength than you cloud-kissers. We can easily carry great loads while flying- and you hardly amount to more than a bundle of dry sticks."

'Ouch.' Ryou decided not to comment on the insult, instead focusing on the strange device. "So, this is like a- a harness, yes? And then you hold onto this part?"

The demon gave a curt nod, clearly not in the mood to educate the prisoner. "Yes- now put it on and get ready."

Ryou awkwardly fumbled with the device (to be fair, he'd never seen such a contraption before) until his exasperated bodyguard let out an angry hiss and grabbed it from him.

Soon, the lighter being was outfitted in a very odd garb- the harness worked more like an armor-connector than anything- and the two set off.

It was a very strange sensation, to be moving through the air without his own wings making any effort. It almost reminded him of when he was small, and Akefia had taken him for his first 'flights.' He almost smiled to himself, remembering the many times his half-brother had taught him all about clouds and how to fly.

Ryou was almost lost in the comfort of his nostalgic thoughts, when a sudden shrieking filled the air.

"What-?!" The angel turned his head, and nearly screamed. There was a giant creature diving towards them- a reddish-magenta beast with giant, wrinkled wings and cruel looking talons. Its well-fanged maw was currently open, as it seemed eager to rip into the two intruders.

Bakura turned around at the same time as the angel, only to have his face drain of all color as he saw their pursuer.

"SH*T!" The demon quickly spiraled into a downward roll as the screeching creature opened its jaws.

"What _is_ that thing?!"

He could hear the angel screaming in his ear, but couldn't focus. He saw the jagged cliffs rushing towards them. Too late, Bakura noticed that one of the spires was closer than he thought-

There was a powerful burst of pain, and then nothing.


	5. Mendings & Misgivings

"Ughhh..." The white-haired demon groaned as he reluctantly opened his eyes. He nearly retched at the staggering pain in his side- he turned to see his wings, only to find that one was badly broken. The crumpled black limb had been bashed and torn open by the rocks- he could smell the blood drying above him.

It hurt like hell.

He then heard the sound of small stones being displaced between two larger boulders.

 _'Sh*t... if that monster comes back I'm screwed!'_

But soon the demon heard a worse sound- a gentle voice with a sickeningly optimistic tone.

"Oh, thank the heavens you're awake! I figured you were still alive, but then I wasn't sure how demons actually recover from accidents- do you experience a 'hibernation' or not?"

Somehow, the captive angel had survived as well. Bakura ignored the mindless chatter and hissed in pain. He could tell that the angel had been freed somehow, and was now standing several feet away. Apparently the prisoner's harness had been destroyed in the crash landing. He leered at the other being through partially-closed eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

The fair-haired angel looked surprised. "Eh? You- you don't remember? You were taking me to the alchemist-"

" **NO,** you _dolt_!" Bakura hissed in pain as he tried to hold his wings still. "I mean, ' _why the f*ck didn't you run away?!_ "

"Well, I made a promise." The chivalrous being spoke as though it was obvious. "I said I wouldn't try to get away, so I didn't."

"Let me get this straight:" The already infuriated demon began counting aloud in disbelief. "You mean to tell me you had: firstly, a way to escape your deal; secondly, your bearings and ability for enacting such an escape; and thirdly- a possibly _once-in-a-lifetime_ chance to _escape_ \- _AND YET_ _YOU_ _DIDN'T_ _ESCAPE?!_ "

The angel frowned at the harsh criticism. "Well, _pardon me_ ; but we angels aren't as strong as you demons- I can't carry you while I fly, and I doubt you'd want me dragging you along the ground," here Ryou pointed at the crumpled black appendage, "-especially with that wing."

Two crimson eyes blinked in stupefaction. Then the pale demon then lost it. He started screaming in a frenzy of frustration and fury. _"_ _You're a_ _bloody_ __ _imbecile_ _, you know that_ _?!"_

In his hysteria, the demon guard didn't notice that he'd started thrashing about. It took a mere five seconds for Bakura to realize that, yes; his wing was, indeed, still very badly broken.

" _ **ARRRRGHH!"**_ The white-haired fiend twisted wildly as he began screaming curses in the old demonic language.

"Bakura, _please_! Hold still so I can fix your wing!" Ryou cried out desperately as the demon raged on.

A moment later, the raving warden had totally exhausted himself, and he resigned himself to whatever the little swot had in mind. Bakura vaguely realized that the angel had even called him by his name- something he would normally never allow. But right now, he was too tired and injured to care.

"I brought some water I found on the rocks outside- I'm going to clean your wing first, alright?"

Bakura stared suspiciously at the crude bark-bowl the other had made- the water inside looked unusually clean for rainwater taken from a cleft.

"I already purified it with an incantation- it may sting a little, but it should stop any infection." Without further warning, the angel tipped the container, and the pure liquid ran down onto the demon's raw limb.

" _E_ _YO_ _W_ _WW!"_ Bakura started cussing out the nervous prisoner as he writhed. " _That f*cking hurt_ _s_ _!_ "

"I'm sorry, but it's the only way I know to clean a wound like this!" The angel sounded upset, but he kept working even as the cleansing waters disappeared. He carefully went over the injured wing with his hands, his slender fingers barely skimming the flesh.

Bakura couldn't turn his head further, and he growled in ill-disguised unease. " _Now_ what the hell are you doing?"

"I need to see how it's broken- I'm a decent healer, but I'm not as familiar with demon anatomy... hmm." Ryou looked pensively at the wing's structure. "It may hurt briefly, but yes; I think this could work."

" _Could_ work?!" The demon's voice rose slightly as he struggled to hide his nerves behind scorn.

The lighter being nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I can't say for certain, but it seems like our wings are similar enough in skeletal structure- so this has a good chance of going right."

The demon responded sarcastically. "How very reassuring."

Ryou only closed his eyes, and began humming in a steady tone. A rather odd glow seemed to slowly surround his form. The faint, blue light slowly merged from the cherub's own aura-boundaries and attached itself to the demon.

Bakura clenched his teeth in excruciating agony- but true to the angel's word, it soon passed.

Bakura then began flexing his wing carefully, and was shocked to find that it barely even twinged.

 _'Incredible...'_

There was a sudden * _th_ _w_ _ump_ _!_ * as the pale angel rapidly slid to the ground in a graceless heap.

Bakura jumped in shock at the other creature's actions. "What- the bloody f*ck are you doing _now_?!"

"I'm very-" Ryou paused to take a ragged breath, his eyes blinking slowly- "tired."

"What- what do you mean, _you're tired_ _?!_ You were fine a moment ago!"

The tender captive was breathing deeply, and he looked beyond exhausted. His eyes slid half-closed as he spoke. "I have to-" he gasped, "-recover my own strength."

"'Recover'?"

The heavenly being nodded sleepily, and his eyes began to fully close. "That is how we angels heal- we give part of our life force to the other."

Two crimson orbs widened in sheer disbelief. "Wha- but- but why the hell would you _do_ that?! Give up part of your own _life?!_ Are you nuts?!" Bakura gaped at the exhausted foreigner.

Ryou sounded barely-conscious as he faintly replied. "Up in the heavens, we all do it; so it doesn't really matter, right?" The cherub curled up, supporting his head with one pale arm. "I mean, if I give my friend a little bit, and then someone else gives me a little bit, and someone else gives him a little bit... it all evens out in the end, I think." The tired being's mouth opened in a silent yawn. "It's not gone forever, you know. We do... build our energy back up after it's drained... it just takes... a while..." His voice finally faded out as he began dozing.

The bewildered demon could only look on in bemusement as the pale being slept. He wasn't sure how long a young angel needed to sleep after 'healing' the wounds of another, but he figured the captive had earned a small break.

 _'Sh*t- why do I always get picked for this sort of garbage?!'_

Roughly two hours passed by in silence. Though he had no sun-dial, Bakura could still see the shadows moving across the tips of the pointed mountain peaks. He followed their progress as he waited for the slumbering angel to return to consciousness.

There was a faint moan, and the impatient guard watched as the bundle of old robes finally shifted.

"Oh- oh my." The still-drowsy cherub gasped as he noticed the rough garments he was wearing. "So it wasn't a dream..." He mumbled sadly to himself.

"'Fraid not. You've been out for two hours- get up."

"Oh!" The angel gasped as managed to pull himself into a seated position. He faced the standing demon and dipped his head apologetically. "Sorry, I never was the most efficient healer... I always tend to put a little too much of my own aura into the target..." Ryou added a nervous laugh, but the demon didn't seem amused.

"Whatever. We need to get moving. So, _u_ _p_." Bakura unfolded his arms just long enough to gesture expectantly skywards.

"Um, c-could I possibly have a few more moments of retrieval? I don't think my legs are quite steady yet..." The embarrassed captive looked to one side, clearly uncomfortable. "I, um, was never that skilled at recovery times, either..."

"Whatever." The annoyed guard sensed that the shy cloud-kisser was telling the truth. The darker being leaned against the shale cliff-side, noticing how his healed wing barely even twinged. 'Hmm... there's no denying that the little fool gave his best effort to cure my wing... tch, trying to curry my favor, I'll bet. Wretched little flatterer. I'm not so easily swayed." He glanced down at his ancient enemy. There was no denying that the displaced angel was still exhausted- his breathing was rather shallow, and he looked disoriented. His white haired was all mussed, and his skin was dotted with bruises and bits of gravel.

'I'll give him another minute- miraculous that the twerp didn't get skewered on the rocks- still, to be barely injured...' The demon let his thoughts trail off as he noticed a familiar scent. 'Seems I was wrong- from his left arm, it seems...' He moved closer towards the reclined being.

"You're bleeding."

The angel twisted to see the red dripping down his left forearm. "Oh, I guess I must have scraped against a rock earlier..." He turned to smile at his grim escort. "It's hardly a problem. Our healing powers work on ourselves, you know. It may take a little longer, (given how I just fixed your wing) but it should be fine in a few days."

Bakura snorted and stepped over to the other's side. Regardless of what other demons might say, he _did_ know how to repay his debts. The angel watched nervously as the fiend strode closer. When they were but a few inches away, the demon took a knee and knelt down next to the detainee. He then dipped his head downwards and began purposely licking the injured skin.

The slender angel jumped in surprise. He squeaked at the intimate contact. "W-w-what are you doing?!"

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?"

Ryou swallowed heavily, his eyes growing wide. "U-um, I really don't think I'll taste that good... I-is there nothing else nearby that you can eat?"

The demon stopped his ministrations and frowned. "I'm not trying to _eat_ _you_ , you idiot! I'm cleaning your wound so it will heal faster!"

The pale cherub tilted his head in disbelief. "Cleaning?"

"Demons have a special enzyme in their saliva that allows them to sterilize their own injuries. Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'licking your wounds?'"

The little angel blinked. "Oh- I always thought it was just a metaphor."

Bakura snorted but didn't comment.

Ryou flushed as the attractive demon resumed his contact. The sensation of the warm tongue on his soft skin was... odd. It was generally considered _very_ rude amongst angels to initiate physical contact with anyone who was not already a close friend or family member. Yet... Ryou didn't find it appalling.

Puzzling, but not appalling.

The bewildered angel could feel the soreness leaving the cut. The combination of enzymes and kneading was quite soothing on his wound.

"It's stopped bleeding." Bakura blankly informed his prisoner.

"Oh! Um, thank you."

The fiendish guard paused for a moment before replying.

"Tch- forget it."


	6. Dragonish Discourse

_"Your wound- it's stopped bleeding." Bakura blankly informed his prisoner._

 _"Oh! Um, thank you."_

 _The fiendish guard paused for a moment before replying._

 _"Tch- forget it."_

The demon hauled himself to his feet before glancing downwards at his tired captive. "You can stand now, I take it?"

The angel slowly got up, wincing as his tense limbs were tested. "Yes, I think I've recovered enough."

Bakura glanced at the angel's still-shackled wings. "With the harness lost, we can't fly... hmm. Looks like we're walking, then. I recognize those peaks-" The demon waved one arm towards a set of umber-tinted bluffs "-so it's not too far from here. You _can_ walk, right?"

Ryou nodded determinedly. "I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern, though."

"Tch." The demon looked like he wanted to make a nasty comment, but he held his tongue. It would still take a while to reach the irritating alchemist.

The pair marched in silence down the clearest 'path' they could find. The jagged peaks surrounding them looked strange but intriguing to the little angel. The Underland's mountain rocks ranged in all different colors and sizes, unlike the more rounded grey stones that dotted the angelic realm. There weren't as many creatures living amongst the barren cliffs, but every so often Ryou would see a small, salamander-type lizard dart out from under one of the larger rocks lining the 'path'. Each of the reddish-scaled creatures would lie in the sun for a moment, as if basking, but would immediately dart back under the stones upon noticing the travelers.

Ryou found it amusing to observe the exotic little animals, but their scales soon reminded him of a more pressing concern. He glanced nervously at his transporter.

"So... what _was_ that giant thing that attacked us?"

Bakura paused for a moment, unsure how much he should say. "We've been fighting them for the last five or six centuries... nobody knows what they are or where they came from. We've been calling them 'dragons' for now. Some say they're the avenging spirits of all the angels we killed in the Great War. But that's bullsh*t."

Ryou winced at the curse, but continued questioning his guard nonetheless. "Have you tried talking to them?"

"Idiot, they're _animals_." The demon snorted as he carried on. "You can't talk to a river rat or a hell...hound..." His mind suddenly flashed back to earlier that morning in the hallway.

 _'Your fur is so soft, and you're so very warm...'_

"Wait..." Bakura rounded on the smaller being. _"_ _C_ _an you talk to other creatures?!"_

The angel gave him a quizzical glance. "Well, of course I can- have you never tried?"

The baffled fiend spluttered. "Demons can't talk to animals!"

"Truly?!" Ryou looked stunned by this declaration. "But-but how can you not have a connection to our breath brethren?!"

"A connection to _who_?"

The angel continued to look incredulous. "Our _breath brethren_ \- all creatures above and below that draw breath- they are all our brothers and sisters. We care for them, and they care for us."

"So you're saying every d*mn bird is sacred to you?" Bakura deadpanned. "That they 'care for you?'"

Ryou frowned. "Well, yes- the birds eat the insects that would destroy the trees that bear us our harvest fruit. And in return, we help them if they fall ill or become injured."

"Tch- how pathetic." The demonic warrior had heard that angels were unusually close to nature, but this was bordering on childish naivety.

"So, you mean that no-one has ever spoken with those dragon-creatures?"

'Forget bordering...' Bakura snorted as he replied, "no, like I told you- _**we can't.**_ "

"Oh." The celestial youth stared thoughtfully in the distance. "I wonder if I could... hmm."

"Knock yourself out. They're incredibly foul-tempered carnivores, so you'd probably end up in its stoma-" The white-haired demon cursed as a giant figure suddenly dropped from the sky, landing directly in front of them. _**"SH*T!"**_

This dragon was a darker color than the first, but it seemed somewhat smaller. Its dark scarlet wings glistened as it folded them against its scaly body. The mystical creature blinked its golden-orange eyes. The glowing orbs seemed to radiate a deep, ancient wisdom.

Despite his training, the demon had no idea how to tackle such a massive foe without any weapons or back-up. But Ryou didn't hesitate as he stepped forward carefully. He gave a deep, respectful bow to the dragon and began speaking.

Or, at least, Bakura assumed that he was speaking- the angel's mouth kept opening and closing but all the demon heard was a strange rumbling sound.

The monstrous dragon seemed to understand the low growls, and replied in kind.

Bakura's jaw dropped as he watched the two beings continue to communicate.

'He's really talking with it...'

A good four or five minutes passed, and the little angel was still conversing with the colossal creature.

The demon was growing impatient, but then Ryou made a gesture towards the ground. The winged beast nodded, and the fair cherub sat down in a comfortable pose.

Bakura snarled at this movement and let out a yowl of annoyance. "The bloody hell are you doing?! We have to get to the alchemist's place!"

Ryou grumbled something in an apologetic tone, then turned to address the fiend. "I'm explaining everything to the dragon- he's most intrigued as to why there's an angel in the demon realms."

" _I don't give a hell hound's left bollock if he wants to know why the s_ _un_ _is_ _hot_ _!_ Just send him off so we can get moving!"

The celestial being frowned, but turned back to the dragon and began making motions towards the blood-eyed warrior.

Bakura couldn't help but gulp anxiously at this change. 'Oh, crap... he's telling it to _eat me_!'

But instead, the massive creature let out what sounded like a knowing chuckle, and nodded gracefully.

Ryou slowly stood up, and gave another bow. He had barely started to turn away when the dragon suddenly held out a sharp talon. There was something large and furry impaled on the end of it.

Ryou paused for a moment before he took the lithe object and gave a final, grateful bow.

The great beast took off at once; his powerful wings sending pebbles and dust everywhere as he easily took to the skies.

"What the..."

Bakura watched as the powerful beast made its way towards the gray clouds. He then turned to look at what the dragon had given the angel.

It was a dead rock-wolf- a wild, silver-brown haired dog-creature that often prowled the Underland mountains and made its den in the clefts.

"Hnn... and I suppose he gave you that gift for supper?"

But the little angel shook his head- he looked nauseated.

"N-no... we do not eat our breath brethren." He swallowed heavily and looked away. "It is considered immoral and disgusting."

"Eh? Then why did you accept it?!"

Ryou gulped again and closed his eyes as he held out the dead canid. "Be-because demons eat meat, right?"

Bakura's eyes widened. "Er, yes- we do." _'He took it... for_ _me_ _?'_

The white-haired fiend pondered why the crazy brat was so determined to help him. The angel's eyes were still closed, and he didn't catch the wicked smirk that ran cross the other's face.

" _But,_ we only eat every few days- and I just ate yesterday." Bakura grinned as the lighter being squirmed. "So it looks like you'll be carrying that thing for a while."

Ryou whimpered in revulsion. "O-o-okay."

The dark fiend chuckled. "Damn, you're far too gullible- no, we don't eat every few days- we eat three or four meals every day- didn't you see the castle's massive dining hall earlier?"

"O-oh... ok. So, are you, um, hungry?" The slender being sounded hopeful.

The fiend nodded slowly and faux-seriously. "Of course- but rock-wolves are so wiry and common. I'm just not in the mood for one right now." He placed an index finger to his chin in imitation of serious thought. "Hmm, but it just so happens that my absolute _favorite_ delicacy- is roasted angel wings."

The little cherub nearly fainted.


	7. Aberant Alchemist

The sun was just beginning to set as the bedraggled pair reached something recognizable- a cleanly tended path. The gravel course was a lighter shade than the rest of the stones, and it gracefully wound its way around the boulders and cliffs of the mountain.

"The Alchemist lives alone in a house at the end of this path." Bakura explained as the pair marched.

The angel only gave a brief nod- he was still somewhat shaken by the demon's previous 'joke.' Ryou swallowed nervously as he followed his bodyguard. 'At least, I _think_ it was a joke... still...' he glanced uneasily at the antisocial fiend, 'I've never seen such a meat-hungry creature before!" Ryou felt a shudder run down his back. The paler being was almost grateful for the metal bindings currently wrapped around his wings.

Meanwhile, Bakura was watching as the path twisted and curved around the cragged mountain. "It's not far now... ah, there it is."

Ryou watched as a most unusual dwelling appeared on the horizon. The walls were a mismatched jumble of metal and brick partitions, colored with random blots of different paints. It was chaotically random, yet somewhat artistic.

'How odd...' The angel's internal curiosity was soon interrupted by his guard's unenthusiastic tone. "Listen, I should probably warn you: this guy's almost insane- he's got an incredibly high opinion of himself, and he's beyond eccentric." The tired fiend whispered mutinously under his breath as the pair reached the house: "The only reason our king even puts up with him is because Alchemy has become all but a lost art among us demons since the Great War."

Ryou's hickory eyes widened- he hadn't realized that the demonfolk had so few artisans in their ranks.

"So now _any_ demon with close knowledge is considered very valuable. He's a rare breed, and he knows it." Bakura finished dourly.

"I see..." The angel murmured thoughtfully to himself. Meanwhile, they had reached the unmatched front door (a rather interesting mix of mahogany boards and metal beams, topped with a dried floral wreath).

Without any preface, Bakura began banging on the door with one fist. **"** _ **Oy!**_ **The King demands the Alchemist's services!"**

No sooner had he finished yelling, than the odd entryway was opened in a most unusual manner. Ryou gasped in delight as the door slid neatly _upwards_ , between the other boards above the threshold; rather than simply swinging outwards.

An imposing figure was waiting for them on the other side. "Oh, if it isn't the late visitors! Welcome, welcome! I am the Alchemist Pegasus."

Ryou glanced upwards at the newer fiend. This demon was particularly tall- his hair was long and silvery, and his wings were a dark scarlet with silver webbing. His eyes were the color of cold coals, and he appeared to be slightly older than Bakura.

"Ah, good evening! I've been expecting you both- you're quite late, you know!" The mysterious alchemist finally stepped aside, allowing his frazzled guests to enter.

"Ran into some trouble." Bakura scowled as he looked around the tidy house. "One of those damned dragons."

"You ran afoul of a _dragon_?!" The homeowner gave an overly-exaggerated gasp before leaning closer to the other demon. "Oh my, and you survived with barely a scratch?! Or did he just know that you were too sour to eat?"

Ryou had to stifle a giggle as his unamused guard fumed.

"I am _not_ the king's second strongest warrior for nothing! You would do well to remember my standing within the court!" Bakura hissed threateningly at their host.

Pegasus raised his hands in a shrug and shook his head from side to side. "Yet I care so little for the monarchy and their policies... as long as the royals require an alchemist, I've found that I can do as I please."

"Tch." Bakura huffed at the carefree remark, but noticed that his charge was distracted.

The angel was currently entranced with a very detailed oil painting on the far wall. The picture seemed to depict a most unusual demoness. In fact, if Ryou didn't know better, he'd assume that she was part angel... most demons had dark colored wings, and wild hair. But this subject's hair was soft and golden, and her wings were almost pale lavender. She had a rather kind smile, and her eyes were a brilliant blue shade. They seemed to sparkle, even with the painted image.

"Oh my... she's quite beautiful."

The homeowner stepped towards the art, his face growing somber. "My late wife, Cecilia."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Ryou gasped in a sorrowful tone.

Bakura remained awkwardly silent as he watched the others. He knew the Alchemist lived alone, but he'd never heard _why_...

The Alchemist shook his head, his silver hair covering his expression. "She died in childbirth, alongside our firstborn." The older fiend's voice cracked as he spoke. "It has been years, yet I cannot forget her face... her kind voice and smile..."

Ryou gave a sympathetic smile as the bereft demon explained. He glanced upwards at the taller being. "May... may I share your grief?" The angel timidly offered.

The homeowner seemed confused. "I- I beg your pardon?" He glanced at the other fiend, but Bakura only shrugged. Neither demon seemed to understand what the angel was offering. "You wish to... 'share' my grief?"

The cherub nodded shyly. "It is something we angels do when another is suffering... it is a way of lessening the burden on the individual, while also reminding us all of our companionship... and that we are never alone."

Confused, the two demons exchanged another glance before the bereaved alchemist nodded. Ryou continued smiling as he gently placed one hand over his own heart, while slowly guiding the other over the widower's chest.

" _Be at peace_." Ryou spoke quietly. The instant his hand touched the demon's covered chest, there was a bright glow of blue light, and both parties let out a gasp. A faint light seemed to shine from the widower's eyes, and he looked downwards as the blue glow faded.

"I... I have not felt such warmth in ages." The Alchemist let one hand drift across his chest, tenderly touching the area above his heart. "I have searched so long for some semblance of peace..." His voice choked again, and he shook his head firmly before adding: "thank you. I owe you a debt."

The over-modest cherub shook his head from side to side. "No need. To be honest, I wasn't sure if it would work between our kinds at all. I fear I have much to learn about demon-folk."

At that statement, Pegasus seemed thoughtful. "In that case, I have some older books that I may be able to lend you- can you read the demonic language?" Ryou nodded as the older demon spoke on. "Hmm... I also wonder if you'd appreciate my 'secret room'- I know many demons feel that I must be mad to engage in such... non-violent hobbies... but I find that certain comforts can only be gained from expressive and unfading acts."

Ryou felt a bit uncertain by the mention of a 'secret room.' Still, the little angel did not wish to be rude, and he nodded again. "Er, if that's alright with my guardian?"

The royal warrior only seemed mildly annoyed by this request. "Tch... whatever." Truth be told, he was rather impressed by the angel's show of empathetic magic before; but didn't want to voice any admiration or even approval. Demons rarely practiced magic, and the few who had a talent were often tied to that field for the rest of their life. Bakura scowled as he pictured that brilliant flash he'd seen moments earlier. Yet apparently even the weakest angels had _some_ magical abilities...

Pondering what other secrets the little light-being held, Bakura remained silent as they were guided down a long hallway towards a dark, wooden door. Pegasus smirked as he twisted the worn, iron handle. He pushed the door inwards with a flourish.

"This... is my private atrium."

"Oh!" Ryou gasped in awe as he was greeted with a world of beautiful scents and colors.

The room was far longer than he would have suspected- apparently it extended backwards pas the rest of the house's rooms. The four walls were covered in whimsical oil paintings of all sorts of flowers and foliage. The inner space was covered by many long, wooden tables. Each table was stuffed with pots and planters overflowing with a wide assortment of flora. Magnificent, multicolored petals seemed to burst from between the green and brown-hued plants.

The angel couldn't hide his astonishment, and he whispered, "It's beautiful..."

Bakura snorted, not bothering to hide his disdain. "And what's the point?"

Pegasus gave the younger demon a pointed look before admonishing him. "The point, my _boorish visitor_ ; is pleasant aesthetics. All art exists solely for its own sake; it does not need your logic or approval to flourish."

"It does cleanse the soul and open the mind to see such a lurid harmony." Ryou added, pausing when he felt something wet running down his cheeks.

"Eh?" Pegasus stared in confusion at the foreign guest. "Are you quite alright? You seem to be crying-?"

Ryou wiped them away with his sleeve, smiling sadly as he did so. "Oh, these tears aren't my own... it's an after-effect of the 'grief-sharing' ceremony..." The small angel fell silent as he stared around the extraordinary room. "She truly loved this room, didn't she?"

Pegasus seemed startled by this knowledge, but eventually nodded. "It was for her that I created it in the first place... I gave it to her as a gift on our first wedding anniversary." He waved one arm towards the tables and walls. "...she filled it with her favorite flowers, and I filled the walls with the pictures I painted of those same flowers." He gave a slight frown as he fondled a dead leaf still attached to one of the nearby plants. "Her flowers were far more vibrant and colorful than mine, but at least they still live on in the paintings..." Pegasus paused, as though saying anything more would be too painful.

Ryou gently placed one hand on the heartbroken demon's arm, and smiled earnestly. "Given what we shared, I think she would be very glad to find that even in your grief; you were still able to keep everything in this room thriving and beautiful."

A few tears began falling down the Alchemist's face, and he gave a grateful nod. "You are quite wise... but I have been in pain for so long; so many years, that it seems endless..."

The cherub tensed for a moment, as if brushing away his own memories, before continuing. "Truth be told, the pain never goes away... but as time passes, the wound heals a bit more... until you start remembering more and more of the wonderful memories, and less of the bad."

The firm yet calm manner in which the lighter being spoke was comforting, and Pegasus began to give what seemed to be a very genuine smile. "You have done me a great service, little angel. I shall bequeath you with some of my finest historical tomes before the end of your trip."

"O-oh! That's very generous of you; thank you!" Ryou barely managed to squeak out a reply before he was interrupted by a rather loud and fake 'cough.'

"Ah- _HEM_! Yes, and our 'trip' will be over a lot sooner if you'd _kindly_ get to practicing your arts _**now**_!" Bakura hissed impatiently.

"Oh my, I seem to have forgotten all about your ill-tempered companion." Pegasus gave a small laugh while the white-haired guard fumed. "Well, it certainly wouldn't do to have you be delayed on my account-" he turned and motioned for the two visitors to follow him back into the hallway. "My alchemy studio is a few doors ahead, on the right. Shall we begin?"


	8. Varying Victuals

The Alchemist's studio was a most curious room. Pegasus explained its contents as the trio made their way down the residence's main hall. From the sounds of it, the studio contained a variety of strange and obscure objects. Ryou listened attentively as the older demon spoke- the 'alchemy' of the Underlands wasn't quite magic as he understood it, but it was certainly still impressive.

Even entering the mysterious quarters seemed to require a little 'everyday' magic. Pegasus winked at his two guests as they stood in front of the studio's wooden door. The whole surface was covered with various gears, but there was no sign of a handle or even latches. Ryou was baffled, until he saw their host taking an unusual object from his right jacket pocket. It was a small, golden gear with a key-like handle attached. The two guests watched as the hermetics practitioner pushed the gear in one specific spot before turning it. Instantly, the other gears responded, and the door swung open to reveal a room full to bursting with oddities.

Ryou couldn't resist applauding the alchemist's clever security system, but apparently his guard was less enthused.

" _You'll give him an eve_ _n_ _bigger swelled head!"_ Bakura growled warningly under his breath as they stepped inside.

" _Sorry..._ " The abashed angel looked downwards as they followed their excited host.

"This way, this way~!"

The Alchemist was almost singing as he herded the two visitors along. Bakura only scowled, not really taking in the surroundings. But his slender charge was clearly trying to view everything at once- and failing. Ryou's head was almost spinning as he looked over the fantastic workspace. The walls were all lined with different wooden bookcases. Some held thick, leather-bound books, with strange titles scrawled on the spines. Other units seemed to store the many ingredients required for various alchemy experiments. Ryou was just marveling over the moving, silvery contents of one sealed jar (if he was translating the demonic script correctly, the label read, "Unstable Mercury") when Pegasus finally spoke up.

"Right then, and what does his majesty require of my humble self?"

" _Humble, my *ss..."_ Bakura muttered under his breath quietly before instructing the master alchemist. "His majesty asks that you enchant the captive's wing clasps, so that they cannot be removed by anyone other than himself or his main advisor, Seto."

Ryou helpfully turned so that his bound wings were closer to the hermetics practitioner.

Pegasus let out a 'tsk tsk' sound as he looked over the silver shackles. "Ah, just a simple lock spell... how dull." He wagged one finger teasingly at his fiendish visitor. "Honestly, I expected more of a challenge from you, _Baku-boy_."

"Call me _that_ again, and you'll find that the 'challenge' of _reattaching your own limbs_ to be **quite** demanding." The shorter fiend hissed warningly.

But the elder demon only chuckled. "So _volatile_... but this shouldn't take long. Let's see..." The alchemist grabbed a few supplies off the crowded table before walking around the angel's fettered wings.

"Yes, this should hardly take half an hour of my time..." An agitated growl could be heard from Bakura, and the older demon hastily added, "so let's begin!"

Ryou couldn't _see_ the actual ceremony, but he could hear the taller fiend talking to himself as he began his work. Occasionally he felt a faint touch on the metal restraints, almost like someone was drawing on them. A few minutes passed, then Pegasus stood and spoke in a low voice that seemed to carry an unnatural echo: _"_ _Ita, et secundum princeps regia, nemo posse conpescere conpes; apsque nostra ductor et sui imperium-in-secundus."_

Ryou let out a faint gasp as the shackles suddenly seemed to double their weight, before quickly returning back to their original measure. A faint, green glow appeared to emanate from the metal, forming curling spirals of an ancient scrawl, before fading back into the alloy.

"That should do it- I suppose there's no other instructions, such as making them invisible, or perhaps a change of color-?" The Alchemist suggested brightly.

Bakura glared as he spoke. "We shall also require a new flying harness, as the old one was destroyed."

Pegasus nodded once before turning his attention to the small captive. Ryou felt a bit flustered by the inquiring fiend, and he quietly added: "um, if I may ask... is there any way to make the bonds less... cumbersome while I rest? I fear that sleeping with such restraints will stiffen my muscles and chill my bones..."

"Ah, a load-lightening spell! Interesting- I have not performed one in centuries, but I believe it is a simple conjure... permit me one moment..." The tall demon began searching through the doors of a very old, wooden desk. The surface was covered in countless marks from what looked like different paints and even burns. "Here we are!" The homeowner pulled out a beautiful, purple stone on a long, golden chain. "This should serve as a fine tribute- now please, stand with your wings facing me and stay still."

Ryou wordlessly complied, and he heard the ringing sound of the metal chain being draped across the shackles. There was another strange set of foreign words spoken, and suddenly the entire room was filled with a golden glow.

"Oh!" Ryou gasped in relief as the weight of the shackles nearly vanished. "My goodness; that's _incredible!_ "

The Alchemist grinned in obvious pride. "It was no great challenge." Pegasus then turned to the other demon, a hint of mischief sparkling in his eyes. "Bakura, could you please dispose of this tribute outside?"

Muttering under his breath, Bakura reluctantly held out one hand to receive the small stone. But the instant Pegasus dropped it into his palm, he was almost thrown to the floor by a violent weight.

" _ **What the ****?!"**_ The shocked guard bellowed as he quickly used his other arm to support the first. The stone weighed more than he did!

The taller demon began laughing wildly as the younger fiend cursed and growled. "My apologies, royal guard- a slight practical joke on my half. Forgive me, but true entertainment is rare out here in the badlands."

Bakura looked ready to chuck the incredibly weighted rock right at the other fiend's head, but instead he decided to let it fall to the floor with a loud *bang!*

The gray-haired homeowner let out a pout-like frown as he glanced downwards. "Oh no, you've dented the flooring."

"Serves you right." Bakura snapped before grabbing his charge's left arm. "C'mon, we're going."

But Pegasus quickly darted between the pair, his eyes wide as he exclaimed: "Oh, but _surely_ you would not leave without first having dinner!" The host then lowered his voice as he whispered in Ryou's ear, "I must say, sharing a meal with an angel is quite a rare occasion; and I have always endeavored to experience the most exotic events life has to offer!"

"Well, I-I am quite hungry..." Ryou admitted meekly, his stomach letting out a well-timed grumble.

Bakura nearly smacked his own forehead- he was loathe to spend another moment under this childish maniac's roof! But he knew it wouldn't do to have the angel (or even himself) passing out on the journey back, and he reluctantly consented as they were shown the way to the dining room.

Pegasus, meanwhile, was in his glory, almost skipping to the eating area. The proud fiend soon threw open a set of large, ornate double-doors and gestured with a flourish towards the inner décor.

"Welcome to my dining room- I trust you'll be delighted by my fare..."

The long, rectangular table was set with a dark-red fabric tablecloth, and many small, ivory candles.

The shorter fiend snorted. 'He _clearly_ planned this ahead of time...' Bakura turned to glance at his charge, and was confused by Ryou's nauseated expression until he remembered what he'd learned earlier. 'Oh, right... angels don't eat meat... whoops.'

Meanwhile, the small cherub stared in shock. There were all sorts of dead animals laid about the table, like a macabre tribute to carnivorous lust. Ryou felt his stomach churn as he slowly gazed across the grisly spread- he could make out the charred ribs of a large creature on the center plate, surrounded by some sort of small, bulging meat-cakes. There was another plate with the broiled head of an unfortunate young ungulate, which was next to a bowl of fresh, hard-boiled eggs. A plate of fried bird wings seemed to be paired with a suspiciously red sauce, and seated nearby was another bowl of poached eggs.

Mistaking the lighter being's stares for awe, Pegasus proudly waved one hand over the tabletop like a master chef presenting a feast. "Ah, I can see you're impressed by my spread~ yes, I've been working on all my recipes for years now; and you simply _must_ try the seasoned Kitlark eggs first, followed by the black boar's blood dip with the Tustnun tongue!"

Ryou seemed to freeze as his face drained of all color. A second later, he let out a nervous whimper before dropping to the floor in a dead faint.

 _ ***thwump!***_

The bewildered host glanced at the other demon with mild concern. "Perhaps a little _too_ awe-inspiring?"

Bakura only groaned. "Sh*t."

Several minutes later, Ryou was revived, but badly nerve-wracked. The poor angel was seated on a handsome wicker-and-oak chair in the hall. Apparently his guard thought it best to keep the ghastly dinner table out of his sight...

The anxious cherub sighed as his limbs continued to tremble. 'I suppose that could have gone better... but what a gory display...'

For as long as anyone could remember, the angels had strived to treat their 'breath brethren' as equals. So a dining table laid out with a myriad of freshly killed and maimed mammals was little less than cannibalistic genocide (at least, from an angel's point of view).

Now that the shock was finally wearing off, Ryou was reminded of his hunger. He wasn't very hopeful, though; he had seen little more than meat on that disturbing spread... the angel turned as he heard footsteps approaching from the right.

"My deepest apologies; I was utterly unaware of the dietary habits of your kind." Pegasus gave a deep bow as he approached the disturbed cherub. "Is there anything I can offer in substitution?"

"Um, well; if you have _any_ fruits or vegetables..." The little angel replied hopefully.

The silver-haired host tapped his left temple with one finger in thought. "Well, I _do_ have some celery that I've been harvesting for my garnishes..."

"T-th-that would be lovely, thank you."

Soon Ryou was quietly munching on some (admittedly, very fresh and tasty) celery stalks in Pegasus' quiet greenhouse/art room. His stomach was still a bit queasy, but he knew this might very well be the best meal he'd get in his new realm. Two hickory-toned eyes glanced despondently downward at the celery stalks. 'Seems like greens aren't very common down here... how on Earth will I survive...' Exhausted and shaken, the young angel felt a single tear roll down his left cheek. 'This is a nightmare... my guard hates me, my shackles are enchanted, and I may even have to... eat...' Determined not to lose his meal, Ryou pushed aside thoughts of the earlier 'banquet' and glanced around at the beautiful plants. 'Well, at least Mr. Pegasus is nice... I almost wish I could spend more time here-'

" **OY!"**

"Eep!" Ryou jumped nearly a foot in the air, almost dropping his plate in the process. He turned towards the harsh voice, only to find his impatient escort scowling at him from the door frame.

"When you've finished stuffing your face with that..." here the demon's scowl deepened, " _rabbit f_ _eed_ \- we can finally get out of here. I managed to wrangle another harness from the crazy old coot's collection," Bakura held up a leather-and-metal device similar to the one destroyed by the dragon's attack, "so we can fly back and reach the castle before the sun fully sets. Those flying monstrosities tend to attack _en masse_ once dusk has fallen, so hurry up!"

Ryou nervously managed to down the rest of the celery while Bakura fitted the harness around himself. He gave the chewing angel a stern look before promising, "and _you'll_ be hooked on as soon as we've left this wretched residence behind."

The angel only nodded as he swallowed the last bite of his crispy vegetable dinner.

"Let's go."

Ryou nearly dropped the plate a second time as he was hauled by one arm off the wooden stool. He barely managed to balance the delicate china piece on top of the seat before he was dragged down the main hallway.

Their enigmatic host was waiting for them by the front door, ready to see them off. Pegasus almost seemed tearful as he glanced at the white-haired pair. "You two really are quite fascinating- must you be going so soon?"

" _And not a moment too soon."_ Bakura hissed as he stepped over the threshold, eager to escape. The angel's arm was still in his grip, so Ryou was also brought just outside the Alchemist's door.

"Um, thank you so much for all your help-" Ryou turned and gave a deep bow to their host, "-and for sharing your pastimes and fare with us."

Pegasus gave a light laugh and waved one palm up and down in a dismissive motion. "Oh goodness; such impeccable manners! You are far too kind! But..." the older demon trailed off gleefully, "as it just so happens, I _did_ bring a small parting gift- a meager token of my appreciation~"

The alchemist brought his left arm forward, revealing a small burlap sack he'd apparently been hiding behind his back. Pegasus smiled as he handed it over to the bemused angel. "A little something for the road!" He gave a playful wink as the cherub looked inside the bag and gasped. The sack was full of some of the greenest, freshest celery stalks he'd ever seen!

"Oh, _thank you_!" Ryou couldn't help but let a little emotion slip into his words of gratitude as he clutched the precious parcel. "These look absolutely _scrumptious_!" The crisp vegetables glistened reassuringly up at Ryou from the organic sack. The cherub felt strangely moved by the small gesture. It felt wonderful, knowing that he would have _something_ edible on hand for the next day or so...

Bakura rolled his eyes at the others, but didn't voice his thoughts.

The angel's conditioned etiquette was urging him to return the favor, but there was only one way he could even imagine doing so... the shy cherub glanced at the taller fiend as he spoke. "Um, I know it's not exactly an equivalent exchange... but if you should like, we happened upon a dead rock-wolf that I hid behind that rock pile just down the path... I don't think we can carry it back with us while we're latched into the harness, so if you're interested..." Ryou queried hopefully.

Pegasus let out a delighted trill. "Oooh, yes! I even have a new recipe I've been dying to try, and that should be _just_ the thing!"

So the cherub quickly explained where he'd left the creature, while Bakura made it clear he was ready to leave by pointedly clearing his throat.

"Oh!" The Alchemist gasped, as though something just occurred to him. "I almost forgot my earlier promise- wait just one moment!"

Bakura started seething, but he waited nonetheless while the hermetics practitioner retrieved something from within the house. The alchemist came back out only a minute later, carrying a large stack of mismatched books. "I nearly forgot to give you some tomes on demon culture and politics! I also threw in some books on anatomy, combat studies, and cuisine!"

Ryou's eyes widened as he was given several large volumes written in the ancient demonic tongue. "Oh my- this is quite an assortment!"

"Just a few older pieces; I've been meaning to par down my collection anyway." Bakura gave another growl, and Pegasus hastily shouted as the other two started walking away: "And if you should ever get the chance, please do drop by again sometime! I'll try and keep some celery on hand!"

Ryou waved back as best he could with his arms laden with books and bags, but Bakura seemed annoyed.

"He's a prisoner, you witless fool!" The irritated guardian shot over his back. "He's not even _allowed_ to run around on his own!"

"Well, if I ever get the chance to stop by again, I shall certainly try." Ryou courteously called over one shoulder before matching strides with his fiendish escort. "Fare thee well!"

Pegasus grinned as he waved them off. "Farewell, you two!"

With a loud noise, the outer door suddenly fell back down into place, securing the alchemist's reclusive refuge.

The white-haired duo stopped only a few yards from the alchemist's property, and Bakura scowled as he began fitting the new harness on his charge. "What an irritating old loon..."

Ryou held still as the leather and metal pieces were connected together. "He seemed very lonely to me."

"What?! Are you _nuts_?" Bakura snorted as he tightened the straps. "He's practically _bubbling_ ; overstuffed with personality and eccentricities!"

"Actually, I suspect it's a mask. I think he's hiding his grief behind his manners and smiles." The angel explained sadly.

But the guard remained unsympathetic. "Tch- he probably just needs someone to punch him in the head."

"And what good would that do?" Ryou asked quizzically. Their earlier healing season had taught him quite a bit, and it seemed like demon physiology wasn't all that different from his own...

"Someone acts crazy, you knock 'em upside the head! You know, like the old saying: 'Knock some sense into him!'" Bakura explained impatiently.

"Oh... in the upper realm, we use that only as a saying, not a directive."

'Crazy angels... thinking every problem can be solved with non-violence... tch.' The annoyed protector double-checked the harness before nodding. "Right; we're all set. Here we go."

Ryou gasped as the brash guard suddenly stepped over the ledge lining the path, They were met with only air, and for one instant they both plummeted into the abyss. But then the demon unfurled his (now functional) wings, and the conjoined pair took flight.


	9. Inspiriting Immersion

The flight back seemed much shorter, although perhaps this was due to the lack of any dragon-ish conflicts. Both Bakura and his foreign dependent were silent as they soared through the Underland skies. The demonic guard's dark wings flapped regularly, but otherwise the air was virtually still. Eventually they came upon a small cluster of cumulus clouds- too thin to cause visibility issues, Bakura decided. Since the clouds were spreading, the fiend decided not to bother avoiding them, and instead glided right through the mist.

Ryou nearly gasped in delight- as with many angels, he had a strong love of clouds. He even allowed himself to spread out his arms and enjoy the soft, ethereal feeling of cloud wisps on his skin. Despite the Alchemist's lightening spell, Ryou was still vaguely aware of the shackles keeping his pinion feathers tightly bound. 'It seems I will no longer be permitted the use of my own wings...' The young cherub held back a sob of loss, choosing instead to focus on the moment. He reminded himself to savor the beautiful puffs of vapor surrounding them. He wasn't sure if he would ever again feel the delicate, pure embrace of these refreshing mists. 'Though I do pray I shall...'

"We're almost there- get ready for a landing." Bakura bluntly informed his distracted charge.

Ryou felt his jaw drop as the pale pair flew towards the fortress-like citadel that was the demon king's castle. Having been transported via portal directly inside the halls earlier, the angel had never seen the structure from the outside. The massive building made for an imposing, yet breath-taking sight.

Seven massive, dark-grey columns surrounded the main castle; they seemed ready to pierce the sky with their arrow-like tips. Ryou could just make out the demonic guards milling around inside each tower's look-out position. Their approach did not go unnoticed, and many eyes followed the disheveled duo as they prepared to land.

Wordlessly, Bakura touched down with one final burst from his black wings. The webbed appendages then folded back up, but Ryou noticed that the recently healed limb was a bit slower to bend.

'Oh dear... I do hope my healing technique was apt enough...' The young cherub shifted his gaze to find that they were facing an incredibly tall set of arch-style gates. The black metal bars were twisted and woven against one another in an artful, yet strengthening way. They seemed to crawl into the sky, at least twenty feet tall; and their ends were adorned with sharp spikes similar to the outer columns' own.

Bakura glanced upwards- the large, earth-toned support cylinder on the right side of the massive gates apparently housed another guard. There was a single, square opening in the side of the pillar, and Ryou could see a young demon leering at them suspiciously. Bakura just cupped one hand around his mouth in informal address as he shouted upwards towards the lone demon.

"Gatekeeper- entry upon providence!"

The 'Gatekeeper' looked to be around their age, and Ryou watched as the other demon nodded in gruff approval. "Open the main gates!"

The large, ornate metal bars suddenly shuddered apart with a loud shriek. Ryou winced as the giant archway was opened to them both.

Behind the embellished metal barrier lay the outermost facade of the demon king's castle. The main walls themselves were made of heavy stones, polished to a glistening grey-and-black sheen. Each corner had a conical-topped cylinder, much like the gatekeeper's station. Ryou hastily counted the turrets as they began striding down the main brick walkway.

'Nine... ten... eleven...' But the little angel lost count as they grew closer to the towering citadel. Ryou felt himself nearly bursting with curiosity and trepidation. Yet with his wings clasped, he had no way of flying up and seeing what lay beyond the impressive main entrance.

The steps leading up to the castle's main door seemed to be made of white-and-gray marble, and armed warriors were patrolling the path, their blank faces indicating the seriousness of their task.

Another guard soon came out to meet them. He was wearing a strange combination of plate and chain-mail armor, much of it tinted with a dark crimson dye. "You're late. The King wishes to speak with you in the throne room."

Bakura openly rolled his eyes at the messenger. "Of course. I doubt his royal highness would ever miss a chance to goad my failures, however minute they may be."

The other guard said nothing, but only nodded before moving behind them. Soon all three were marching down a long, stone-based hallway. Their footsteps seemed to echo stoutly across the natural grey surfaces.

As Ryou heard their 'messenger' begin stepping in pace behind them, a sudden thought struck the angel.

He tried discreetly whispering to his assigned protector. "Er, Bakura?"

The unamused escort hissed at the impudent whelp. _'Again_ with the first name...' "What."

"Um, I know there's probably gonna be a lot of questions... since we were gone for so long and all..." The captive angel's face seemed to grow flushed as he spoke. "You- um, you can tell the others that I tried to escape. I mean, I kinda took away your glory from the ceremonial battle... it's only fair that you should get some recognition for your feats. So... just know that I'll support whatever you decide to say."

The scarlet-eyed fiend seemed taken aback by this consideration, but he didn't respond. Bakura wasn't sure how genuine the captive's offer really was... 'Perhaps he plans to make a fool of me by refuting any falsities I utter... or else he knows of my distrust, and wishes to emphasize the extent of my mistakes by concurring with whatever I say... hm.' The skeptical warrior frowned as he tried to prepare himself to face the dark king.

'Either way, this is gonna be interesting...'

No further words were spoken as they approached a set of gilded doors. 'No doubt this must be the throne room's entranceway... it's stunning!' Ryou marveled as the shining gold leaf covering the doors shimmered playfully in the candlelight. The large handles were surrounded by dark red and green gemstones, inter-spaced with some sort of strange, glowing stone the angel didn't recognize.

"This is the Grand Hall- or 'throne room', as some call it." The other guard seemed to proudly announce this fact as he ushered the two travelers forward. He glanced down at the awestruck angel. "Our king does not tolerate idle chatter, so hold your tongue in his presence." The fiend added warningly.

Ryou nodded, trying not to swallow his nerves. "Yes, sir."

The newer demon seemed surprised by this formal address, but said nothing further as the others were pointed towards a long, red carpet leading down the hall.

Bakura led the way, the captive angel falling dutifully in line behind him. Yet Ryou could not help but glance around again as he saw the true beauty of the room. The entire Grand Hall was painted in a rich gold-and-scarlet palette, with green jewels dotting the gilded sconces. Ryou's jaw nearly dropped as he noticed the vaulted ceiling arching far above their heads. 'It must be fifty feet tall! How did they manage to set all those skylights?!' There was a series of highly ornate frescoes covering the upper walls; some depicted bloody battle scenes, while others seemed to refer to demonic ceremonies and traditions. The distracted cherub nearly stumbled over a thick fold in the cerise carpet, which drew the ire of his escort.

"Look sharp before the King!" Bakura snapped warningly as the angel's wandering attention finally fell back on their path.

"S-sorry." Ryou kept his head down as they approached the elevated stone platform. He could see several demons gathered around the dais, no doubt guards and advisers to their king. They whispered amongst one another as the two bedraggled creatures approached.

"We're here." Bakura added firmly as he knelt on one knee. Unsure what he was supposed to do, Ryou copied his protector's stance and looked upwards.

There, seated on a large throne of gold laced with rubies, sat the same bundle of mysterious swirling mists as before. Ryou stared as the black vapors continued to act as a shroud. There was no way he could catch any glance of the Demon King's true face.

The Demon King suddenly raised one hand (at least, Ryou assumed the long, mist-covered extension was his arm) and the other court members fell quiet.

"Bakura. You are very late, and I see signs of battle. What rift befell you? Did your captive resist?"

The still-kneeling demon hissed under his breath. 'What should I say... what do I admit...' Bakura frowned in indecision. He paused for a moment, before throwing all caution to the winds. 'Damn it... what the hell.' "He helped save both of our lives."

Ryou's eyes grew large, and he gave the demonic warrior an incredulous look.

But the reluctant guard didn't pause. "He healed my wing after we fell into a chasm, and he helped us reach the alchemist safely."

The dark king sounded surprised. "You 'fell'? Bakura, you are one of the best warriors in our lands- how in the seven realms did you 'fall'? Was he even fighting against you?"

But the pale demon snarled in distaste. "No- we were set upon by one of those damned sky terrors. The wretched beast set upon us not halfway through the journey. We were fortunate in our escape."

A rush of murmured comments spread across the court. Apparently this wasn't the first time the fiends had heard tell of the monstrous creatures assailing one of their own.

The shadowed hand suddenly lifted up again, and the king spoke one word: "SILENCE." The other demons fell quiet, although Ryou could still see the looks of discontent and scorn on some of their faces. "I see... this is most troubling." The concealed king seemed to shake his head. "These attacks have become more and more frequent, as they always seem to between the dry seasons..." There was a sigh from the dark monarch's form. "Still, I am glad that our guest is alright- it was rather fortunate that the dragon did not manage to harm either of you further." The shrouded figure glanced at the angel's badly mangled and dirtied robes.

"We can discuss your journey later- the alchemist fed you, I'm assuming; so right now I should think a wash would be most appropriate. Bakura, would you show our guest to one of our private bathing rooms? I will have fresh robes delivered to whichever one you use. Meanwhile, I must discuss this growing problem of dragon assaults with my advisers..."

"Oh, thank you, sire!" Ryou could barely contain his enthusiasm at the prospect of freshening up. Truthfully, the smell of his bloody and dirtied robes had been bothering him, but he didn't dare mention it earlier.

"As his majesty commands..." Bakura muttered unenthusiastically as he led the elated angel out of the throne room. "This way..."

Several swift turns through the stone maze castle later, and the pair had reached the aforementioned bathing quarters. There were several rooms in the hall, each marked with stone carving hung on a nail next to the door-frame.

"This room should be unoccupied." Bakura nodded towards the second door on the right, before opening it.

Ryou gasped as the wooden door was opened, revealing a modest-sized room with pine-plank walls. "Oh my, this is _lovely_!" His jaw nearly dropped as he took in the glorious accommodations. It seemed as though the demonic builders had constructed the entire wing of bathing rooms around a series of naturally-occurring hot springs. This particular bathing area was filled with many large, natural stones; all of them smoothed and polished to perfection. They seemed to shimmer with vapor from the steamy pool in the center of the room. Meanwhile, the ample bathing pool glistened, its pure waters almost beckoning the disheveled angel. There was a circle of flatter rocks surrounding the pool, evidently meant for placing clothing and bathing materials on while in use.

The eager cherub noticed a small, folded pile of brown towels in the far right corner. Satisfied with the attractive amenities, he turned to set the door's lock...

...and was bewildered to find that his sentry hadn't moved. Bakura was just leaning against the closed door, his eyes not leaving his charge. Ryou stared quizzically at the unamused demon.

"Um, thank you?"

"'Thank you' for _what_?" Bakura snapped in his usually cross manner. "For bringing you here?"

"Well, yes... I suppose, but- um, aren't..." The angel's expression grew more confused as he tried for a less subtle hint. "Er, aren't you going to _leave_ , now?"

The exasperated escort let out a faint huff. "I'm not supposed to leave you alone, remember? So hurry up and get clean!"

"EH?!" Ryou's face suddenly grew several shades warmer, and he nearly squeaked as he decried, "b-but that's _indecent!_ "

"Wha-' _i_ _ndecent?!_ '" The demon's nose scrunched up in disbelief. "The bloody h*ll are you talking about?! We're both _males_!"

"Y-yes," the angel nervously conceded, "but we're not related by either blood or marriage... is... is that not seen as a _sin_ in your lands?" The fully-blushing cherub looked ready to combust as he tried to explain the decency laws of his peoples.

Bakura didn't even bother answering the question. "Ugh, you angels are such prudes... FINE. I'll turn around if it makes you feel better." The irritated chaperone twisted so he was facing the closed wooden door.

"Um, but you're still in the room..." Ryou's shoulders fell as he plaintively stated the obvious.

The tired guard was quickly losing his patience, and he growled in reply. "Take it or leave it."

Distressed, but eager to bathe after their harsh excursion, the timid angel slowly removed his burlap robes. Ryou felt a moment of panic when one of the armholes got caught on the iron clasps binding his wings, but he soon worked the ripped cloth over the shackles. He eventually managed to rid himself of the torn garments, and folded them in a small, neat pile on one of the larger stones. Still, Ryou felt somewhat uneasy through it all. He felt himself constantly checking on the other being, not trusting that his guard wasn't secretly amusing himself with his charge's forced voyeurism.

But true to his word, Bakura didn't budge. He was actually rather baffled by the whole thing- demons would often bathe together in similar settings. In fact, it was quite common for groups of the same gender to share a large bathing area. After all, private baths like this one were very expensive, and usually reserved for wealthy nobles. He snorted as the waited for the irritating little twerp to get in.

'Tch... those sky-suckers must be such soft, luxuriant fools; to never even _see_ one another while _bathing_...'

There was a soft splash as the small angel eventually entered the circular pool.

"Ahhh..." Ryou let out a faint note of delight as he slipped into the naturally-heated waters. Almost all of his muscles were still sore, and the soothing warmth was therapeutic... The pleased angel closed his eyes as he rested his back against the tall stones surrounding the waters. He was just thinking of fetching some soap, when he heard an unexpected splash, followed by a familiar voice.

"Took you long enough." Bakura snorted as he leaned his own back against an opposing stone. He felt pretty grimy himself, and the warm water felt good on his injured wing-

"WHHHHHHAAAAA?!"

Ryou let out a shriek of betrayal as he all but leapt out of the pool. He managed to rapidly wrap a towel around his body before loudly confronting the other male. "WHA- _WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!_ "

The tired fiend only opened one eye as he glared resentfully at the noisy cherub. "My bad wing is killing me, and I'm covered in filth- what's it look like I'm doing?!"

The pale angel held the towel tighter around his form as he heatedly retorted. _"You- you promised you'd stay turned around, facing the door!"_

Still bemused, Bakura pointed at the rock-lined circle and exclaimed, "I thought you just meant until you had gotten _in_!"

Before the angel could reply, there was a sudden knock on the door, startling them both. Multiple voices could be heard coming from the other side. Apparently the castle's guards had heard the yelling and were alerted to their shouts. Ryou paled at the prospect of even _more_ strangers joining them.

A bold voice shouted from the other side of the wooden barrier. _**"Oy! We heard shouting- everything all right?!"**_

" **I** **just** **stubbed my d*mn toe- we're fine!"** Bakura bellowed back nonchalantly. The other guards seemed to take him at his word, and Ryou could hear them shuffling back down the hall.

Bakura nearly snorted as the pathetic angel stood quivering in one corner of the room; dripping wet and clutching the thin towel around him like a lifeline. The soothing waters were starting to pacify the exhausted warrior, and he decided to spare a bit of sympathy for the bewildered prisoner.

" _Look_ , I don't know how you angels view 'shared bathing', but we demons see it as a natural and healthy event." Bakura carried on, hoping the angel was listening. "It's one of the few times we actually _prefer_ to engage in conversation- it's considered a social occasion, and we almost equate it to a party-like gathering."

"Oh..." Ryou seemed a bit relieved, and he finally turned around to face the other. His voice dropped to a near whisper as he struggled to understand the foreign concept. "So, it's not... _dirty_?"

The half-submerged demon rolled his scarlet eyes. "Well, since the point is to clean up, then _yes;_ I suppose you could say there is generally _some_ dirt involved." Ryou held back a chuckle as the guard went on. "But if you're implying indecent advances, then _no_. That would not be tolerated, and quite frankly, you'd be an utter fool to try anything- after all, you'd likely be beaten to a pulp by the other demons for pulling that cr*p."

"Oh." The lighter being looked thoughtfully at the still-beckoning waters. "Um, would you be offended... if I joined you, then?" His face was still slightly flushed, but he had a tentative smile.

The demonic warrior nodded and waved one arm carelessly before closing his eyes again. "Yeah, yeah; whatever. Just be careful on the rocks- they're dangerous when slick."

Soon there was another splash, only this one sounded heavier to the demon. Bewildered, he opened his eyes to find his charge still firmly grasping the now-soaked cloth around his slender body.

"You... you didn't leave the towel behind..." Bakura felt his urge to laugh warring with his disbelief.

"Well I'm _sorry_ , but we angels _do_ very much value our modesty!" Ryou stated rather defiantly.

But his protector just snorted and pointed up. "What are you so worried about? You can't see anything anyway."  
"Eh?" Befuddled, the curious cherub glanced upwards to find that the low ceiling had been coated with a rather metallic-looking paint. He then glanced downwards, noticing that he couldn't really see anything beneath the surface of the pool. The waters reflected the short, silvery ceiling, effectively 'blocking' any view of the bather's underwater halves.

The amused look on Bakura's face showed just how much he was enjoying disproving the little angel's (unfounded) fears.

But Ryou only lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry... I fear I have much to learn about your culture... and I have done nothing but offend you..."

"Tch- forget about it- we demons aren't as sensitive as you wussy cloud-kissers. Besides, if you ever _really_ offended me, I'd just punch your lights out." Bakura grinned as he mimicked punching someone. One of his sharp, white fangs slipped into view as he smirked.

Ryou felt a bit unnerved by how casually the other admitted this fact. "Um, b-but wouldn't your king be really upset, then?"

The demonic warrior snorted in annoyance. "Like I give a cr*p what _**he**_ thinks- King Yami is a fool."

"King Yami?" Ryou blinked in curiosity. "Is that the demon king's real name?"

"Oh, right; I forgot- yeah, that's his name. For some reason he's pretty secretive."

"Hmm... I wonder why?"

Bakura only shrugged. "The war never actually ended, so I guess he's just being paranoid. Or maybe he just thinks it makes him more 'cool.'  
The little angel actually managed a faint laugh at those words. "I suppose even kings worry about appearances."

"Apparently. Speaking of, I think I'm clean. You about ready to get out?" Ryou nodded before turning around while his chaperone fetched some more towels. Soon they were both seated on flat stones outside the pool, each with a towel draped across their waist.

Ryou nearly jumped when he was suddenly tossed a bundle of unknown fabrics. "Eh?!"

"Here, these were stacked outside the door- I'm guessing they're for you."

"Oh!" Ryou was pleasantly surprised to find that these new robes were made of a much finer material than the burlap ones. The light blue fabric seemed to shimmer like a silken material, but felt much thicker and warmer.

"I'm guessing those are woven from Ha'elut worm fibers- they're rather like silk worms, but the cloth they produce is much softer and easier to keep clean."

Ryou hastily donned the pale-colored garments. "Fascinating- but I'm a bit surprised by this generosity-?"  
"I think the king has taken a liking to you- although my guess is maybe he didn't want t spoil you too much upon your arrival- many other demons are still furious that we're playing 'host' to one of your kind." The still-wet guard warned sagely.

"I see... well, either way I very much appreciate the gesture." The angel glanced downwards at his now clean and well-dressed form. 'Perhaps my stay will not be as punishing as I feared...'


	10. Bizarre Bazaar

Shortly after the two had left the bath, Ryou was led back to his quarters. Bakura didn't bother following the cherub inside, trusting that his charge would be safe enough within the designated lodgings. Instead, the demon strode off without a further word. The (understandably) fatigued guard's behavior didn't phase the equally exhausted angel. In fact, Ryou was nearly smiling when he opened the door to his own room.

"Oh!" Two hickory-toned orbs immediately picked up something special within his chambers. Ryou was pleasantly surprised to find that someone had placed an extra soft blanket atop the bed sheets. There were also a few new pillows on the bed, along with the books that the Alchemist had so generously gifted to him. A full smile soon spread across the thrilled foreigner's face.

'I look forward to reading those tomes soon... but for now...' The timid angel yawned as he placed the books carefully on the room's sole wooden dresser. 'Night time prayers, and then rest!' Ryou then pulled back the covers and slid onto the inviting mattress.

His dreams were surprisingly vivid that night. The sleeping angel dreamt that he was wafting through the clouds- not really flying, per se; but drifting along, as though he was a feather floating on the wind. Though most angels would normally feel panicked to find themselves not in control of their own flight, Ryou felt strangely relaxed. It was as though a warm beam of a tangible fire was guiding him forward, keeping him safe and steady. It was a lovely dream, but one of those visions that was sadly forgotten soon afterwards.

The next morning, Ryou was awakened by an assistant of the castle's head chef. The aid bowed before handing over a platter full of a wide assortment of breakfast foods. There were plenty of meat cuts, which Ryou hastily pushed to one side of the dish. But between the warm biscuits and the spiced herb rolls, he had more than enough to suit his dietary needs. With his stomach now pleasantly full, Ryou eagerly donned his new robes and waited patiently for his guard.

It wasn't long before the black-winged demon knocked on the door before striding right into the room.

Ryou had barely opened his mouth to say 'Good morning' when Bakura made his own declaration. "I'm running low on flint and oil. So we're taking a trip to the bazaar today."

"The... the bizarre?" The young angel tilted his head in confusion. "Um, what exactly is that?"

"You don't know what a bazaar..." Bakura trailed off, equally bewildered. Surely even the upper realm inhabitants needed some place to buy and sell their wares? "The **bazaar** \- you know, where you go to find things you need and haggle over the prices?"

"Oh, you mean a marketplace?" Ryou suddenly broke into a wide grin, and he nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, I'm quite fond of those!"

The pale demon kept his face blank as he internalized his disbelief. 'These language barriers are becoming quite tedious...' Still, the little captive seemed rather excited by the whole prospect.

"In fact, I would very much like to see an Underlands marketplace!" Ryou added with the same fervor.

Bakura nearly rolled his eyes as he realized just how many more culture shocks the cherub was bound to find if they visited the local demonic bazaar.

"Er, not to burst your bubble, but you do realize there's gonna be a LOT of meat for sale?" The fiend replied bluntly, not bothering to sugar-coat their reality. "Our butchers tend to proudly display their wares, to show the passerby what they have in stock. It's a long-standing tradition combining advertising and bragging."

"...oh." The cherub's soft face seemed to take on a greenish tint as he mulled this information over. But to his guardian's surprise, it was quickly replaced by a very determined stare. "Well, I'll just have to do my best to look past those stands, then!"

'Yeah, like _that's_ gonna be easy...' The fiendish protector sighed, remembering how the little fool had reacted to the Alchemist's banquet. "Whatever. If you feel faint, just tell me."

Ryou gave his security escort a quick bow of gratitude. "Ok, thank you Bakura!"

' _Again_ with the first name...' Rubbing his temples, the demon only gestured that it was time for them to leave, and they headed out on foot.

The bazaar was set up along the main road leading up to the palace, so it was hardly a far walk to the first booths.

As they perused over the various wares, Bakura found himself stunned by the angel's enthusiasm. Apparently the little runt hadn't been lying about his interest in demonic culture. The foreign pest kept darting from display to display, commenting on the different clothing styles and materials. He seemed intrigued by the intricate patterns often dyed directly onto the dark green and brown fabrics.

The normally shy and demure cherub was suddenly dancing about excitedly, all while asking a million questions of the stunned shopkeepers.

'Probably should have sent word ahead that an angel would be visiting... whoops.' Bakura thought to himself with minor concern. Personally, he was all for creating a little chaos; but he knew if his royal-highn-*ss got too many complaints from the shopkeepers... eventually, he caught the exuberant angel's attention. "Hey, tone it down, cloud-kisser. We've still got a long ways to go before we reach the armory section."

"There's _**more?!**_ " The look on Ryou's face was so earnestly eager, it was nearly adorable. The angel's wide, tawny eyes seemed to glisten with awe as he awaited his guard's reply.

Bakura, meanwhile, was feeling a bit less amused. "How on Earth would you run a bazaar with only clothing booths?! Yes, there's a _lot_ more!"

"Oh..." Ryou fell silent for a moment before remarking, "you know, in the heavens, it's quite different. We have permanent, stone buildings that you go inside; and the shopkeepers allow you to view and touch the merchandise before buying it."  
The skeptical bodyguard raised one pale eyebrow in disbelief. "Then... how do they stop thieves from just taking things?"

"Why would you just _take_ something?!" The cherub looked absolutely scandalized at the very thought.

The earnest blend of confusion and disbelief on his face was too much, and Bakura suddenly burst out in raucous laughter. The stall keepers glanced at the howling warrior, but didn't interfere. Bakura's side shook wildly as he guffawed. "Oh devils, you sky-suckers seriously believe you don't even have to worry about _pickpockets_ up in the clouds?!"

Ryou's face turned a bit sulky as he answered. "It would be a very foolish thing to risk. Our punishments are quite harsh, and we do not look kindly upon repeat offenders. Not to mention, you would only be hurting yourself in the end."

"Hurting yourself? By getting something for free?" The pale demon snorted in derision. He knew the angels had an odd system of ethics and justice, but this statement was too intriguing. "Oh please, _do_ elaborate." He made a trailing gesture with one hand. "I suspect this will be highly entertaining."  
But Ryou ignored the demon's cynical tone as he responded. "Well, it's rather like when I described how we heal- you give some, you receive some. If I steal enough items from the grocery shopkeeper, then he'll eventually have no money to pay off his own debts. For example, he might no longer be able to pay the farmer who brings him the grains he sells. Well, let's say I'm in the business of transporting goods- but now, the farmer no longer has a need of my services to bring his grains to our town's store, as his supplier has been rendered defunct. Meaning I'd have put myself out of a job (indirectly, of course)."

Bakura could only blink at the unusual yet somewhat-coherent logic.

The cherub felt his curiosity burning again as he added, "it's basic economics, really- is that not a standard class that your educational system offers?"

But the rough fiend only shrugged unconcernedly. "We learn the basics of language, physics, and fighting. Very few outside the royal court would need to explore such dull topics."

"Dull?!" Ryou stared with an even wider gaze. "But- but surely such lessons are vital for a thriving society?"

Bakura waved one hand about unconcernedly. "Do you _see_ buildings collapsing all around us? Do you _see_ anyone who cannot read or write? Trust me, our system is more than adequate."

Sensing a challenge, the cherub slyly asked, "oh, so you say- and what about medicinal studies?"  
The warrior snorted nonchalantly. "We have one garrison of physicians who are trained by our generals, but they do not give such lessons to average warriors."

"So your foot soldiers are not even given basic medical instruction?! That can lead to deadly losses!"

"You forget, little cloud-kisser, that our bodies are quite different. Demons are far tougher, able to withstand more damage on the fields of battle."

Ryou shook his head, steadfast in his angelic beliefs. "Still, one would think that a little medical knowledge wouldn't go amiss..."

"Why waste time with medical training when you can focus your efforts on eliminating the enemy and ridding yourself of the problem altogether?"

"But the casualties..."

"Would be avenged." Bakura's expression quickly turned steely-eyed. "To die in battle is a glorious thing for demons. It's almost always preferred over any other death."

"How tragic..." The young angel looked disappointed as he followed after his protector.

"Tch- there's never been a war without casualties. We demons have an old saying: 'great change cannot be affected without great bloodshed.'"

Ryou was silent for a moment, before quietly mumbling, "Our peoples have their own saying: 'nothing weighs more than the life of another.'"

Bakura let out another snort. "How laughable. If the death of one could assure the victory, surely it is worth the loss?"

"We Upperlanders believe you would be losing something far greater in taking the exchange." The angel added, a hint of wryness slipping into his tone.

"Hn." Bakura fell silent, but he couldn't help but mock the captive idealist in his mind. 'What a ludicrous little fool... he clearly has no idea what real combat entails.'

As the two stepped along the dusty path, they were suddenly met with a wide assemblage spanning the full width of the road. Evidently something else was drawing the attention of the market-goers that same day...


	11. Sentimental Skirmish

Though many demons were currently amassed in the middle of the marketplace, not one seemed to speak in more than a whisper. Ryou glanced around the massive-yet-quiet assemblage with wonder- surely no single stock-keeper's wares could draw _this_ large of a crowd? Nervous, he gently tugged on his bodyguard's sleeve before whispering in a tense manner. "Bakura, what's going on? Is there a problem? Why is the main path blocked?"

But the guard only shook his head- he was loathe to admit it, but his own height was scarcely greater than the cherub's. He was also unable to see what was going on at the moment. "Ssh- I'm trying to figure it out."

"..." Undaunted, Ryou decided to try a different route. By standing up on his tip-toes, the curious angel could just make out the reason for the gathering.

The large audience had collected in a full circle around two young demons. One was a black-haired female with dark red eyes; the other, a teal-haired and golden-eyed male. They seemed to be about the same age, and they were facing each other with knowing smiles.

The crowd suddenly shifted, allowing the shorter fiend a glance at the center. Bakura chuckled before holding out one arm to make sure his tip-toeing charge didn't stumble forward. "Oh? How interesting... it seems you're _really_ getting your fill of Underlands culture today- it looks like a marriage proposal is about to take place."

"Oh!" Ryou gasped, his voice rising in pitch as he excitedly whispered: "So, this is how demons finalize their courtship?"

"What?" Bakura answered distractedly as he watched the still pair. "Yes, sure; whatever you want to call it- this is the last step before they are bonded together in a later ceremony on a chosen date."

The entire audience flinched as the female suddenly punched the male- _hard_ \- right in the gut. The demoness was smiling as she watched her partner stumble about before he countered with a vicious kick.

" _Oh no!"_ Ryou started darting back and forth along the circle's edge, as though unsure of who needed rescuing from who. "Why is she _attacking_ him? And now _he's_ attacking _her_?! Oh no, oh dear... why doesn't anyone do something?!"

"Why would they?" Bakura frowned at the fretting cherub. "Stop pacing, you're annoying the other spectators!"

"But- but they're _hurting_ each other!" Ryou added worriedly.

The pale guard raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention back to the battle. "YES, they are; and quite well. What's your point?"

"Wha-" the angel's jaw dropped as he slowly sputtered, "-b-but, isn't that... **bad**?"

"Bad?" Bakura scoffed. "What do you mean, 'bad'? This is normal."

The lighter being seemed lost beyond cognition. "You mean it's... _normal_ for demonic partners to beat each other up?"

The white-haired fiend sighed as he realized this was yet another awkward difference of cultures. "Well, _no;_ it's not normal under typical circumstances... but like I said, this is a _proposal_."

Ryou's blank stare told Bakura enough about the Upperlander's knowledge of demonic courtship.

The partly-attentive fiend sighed as he hastily explained. "Look, it's like this: we demons value physical prowess above almost everything else. So if you want to marry someone, you have to prove your worth through a show of skill and force."

The quick-witted angel tilted his head in bemusement. "But... can he not simply fight _another_ male to show his might and superiority?"

Bakura smirked. "Your angelic mindset is almost adorably deluded... _of course_ he could ask a buddy to fight him, but such an arrangement would hardly assuage a discerning female." He gestured towards the still earnestly sparring pair. "After all, the two friends could easily set things up ahead of time to make the caller seem the greater victor."

"What do you mean?"

The demon guard nearly cursed as he struggled to overcome the cherub's naive nature. " _Staged_. They could _stage_ a grand-scale fight, and who would be the wiser? After all, anyone with decent combat experience knows how to _act_ like they're fighting, even when they aren't."

The angel turned his chestnut eyes towards the pair, still uncertain of their motives. "But... if he loves her, why is he _hurting_ her?"

"To prove his love. Trust me, it's necessary."

Ryou watched as the couple both paused after near-simultaneous blows. "It just seems very cruel..."

"Not at all. It's a key part of our relationship values. He's fighting to prove himself worthy of her- and she is doing the same."

Somewhat appeased, the curious cherub tried to voice his thoughts in an unoffensive manner. "Oh... that sounds somewhat... convoluted. In the heavenly realm, we do not _ever_ make battle with our loved ones."

The scarlet-eyed demon raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "Then how do you judge the appropriateness of a mate?!"

Ryou's face flushed slightly as he explained his own cultural norms. "Well... we talk. We get to know the other through years and years of shared activities and experiences... and if, after all that time the two still wish to wed, then they simply declare it."

"That sounds boring, time-confusing, and hardly faultless." The white-haired fiend snorted, clearly not convinced. "And how do you know they are not lying to you about their intentions?"

Ryou gave a soft smile as he theorized. "It would take a very skilled charlatan to fool someone after all that time, but I suppose it would be possible... if not for our empathetic abilities."

This time, it was the demon's turn to blink in bewilderment. "Your _what_?"

"Angels can usually sense the emotions of others; animals, demons, even special plants- but we are most in-tune with other angels. It is very difficult to carry on a profound deception- after all, it is only through repeated practice that we even learn to hide the smallest of lies and half-truths from each other." Ryou let out a brief chuckle as he added, "although heavy drinking is known to impair this ability- that is why we Upperlanders have an old saying: 'Only small children and drunks are completely honest'- since they cannot hide their true feelings."

The impromptu audience slowly began growing as the couple fought on, and soon the two discoursing males were surrounded. Yet neither one seemed to notice or care.

Bakura seemed to be ponder the cherub's revelation for a minute, before turning back to his charge. "Wait, but I thought you sky-kissers love the whole 'truth and purity' thing- why would you even bother learning to lie?"

The angel's face flushed as he tried to give a general scenario. "W-well, suppose a close friend is being fitted for a new uniform, and they ask if a specific tunic makes their, erm, 'backside' appear larger than normal..."

"Then you tell them it's their fat making their *ss look big, not the fabric." The darker male shrugged in careless advisement.

"W-what?!" The slender angel gasped as he spluttered in shock, " _y-you can't just say_ _ **that**_ _!_ "

"Why not?" Bakura was actually starting to enjoy riling up his wide-eyed charge. "I thought you were all about honesty, right? So, you should be honest."

"B-but if you truly care for the other person, you should also be considerate of their feelings. In other words, a small lie or deflecting statement is perfectly acceptable."

The demon could feel his head starting to spin from all the ethical debate. "Tch- then how the h*ll do you know when someone's telling the truth or not?!"

"Exactly." Ryou grinned, apparently thinking he'd justified the nonnative concept. "There's always a _chance_ of sincerity, so such small statements are regarded as an excusable margin of error. It's both polite and wise, as it means you're considering the other person's expectations along with their emotions."

Bakura shook his head in bewilderment, as though trying to clear the muddle of tangled philosophy from his brain. "Dear h*lls, it's like you angels _try_ and make things as complicated as possible!"

"it's not so bad... most of the time." Ryou admitted quietly as he watched the still-battling pair. "It's the other expectations I had a much harder time understanding..."

But before either of the pair could speak further, the crowd suddenly let out a loud roar of approval. Both of the courting demons were lying on the ground, exhausted and bruised. Yet as soon as they were able to get back on their feet, they embraced and exchanged tender words. The female even began bandaging a small cut on the male's left forearm, while he began brushing dirt off her clothing.

Ryou felt his confusion waning. 'Oh... so they really _do_ love each other. How very peculiar... I don't suppose any of the books in the Royal Library ever noted this ceremony... perhaps we've misunderstood other demonic customs as well.'

(A/N: ~I based the demon's courtship rituals on the real-life mating rituals of the Tasmanian Devils of Tasmania Island. I watched a documentary a year ago, and was shocked by the brutality of their battles! But I also understand why they evolved to such a state- survival of the fittest, I suppose!)


	12. Insurmountable Indoctrination

The fiendish spectators soon began dispersing, and the now-engaged couple eventually disappeared into the mass of market-goers. Ryou watched them leave, still uncertain how he felt about such unanticipated violence.

"I'm still rather shocked, but if it's normal here, I suppose..." He gave a curious look towards his look-alike guardian. "Part of the reason I was so horrified was the fact that they're of opposing genders... it's usually considered a bit of an unfair fight in the Upper realms to pit a male warrior against a female."

The demonic warrior only shrugged. "I'll watch their bouts, but I usually prefer the male-on-male battles- they're much more intense. I don't even bother watching the female-on-female fights anymore- they always seem like they're holding back, y'know? Like they're scared of hurting each other."

"Oh!" The small cherub's pale face grew flushed as he realized what his escort had just insinuated. "You mean... you allow same-gender couplings here?"

"What?! Of course!" The silver-haired fiend raised one eyebrow as they also began moving. "Just what sort of nonsense do you sky-suckers maintain?"

Ryou quickly kept pace with his guard as he spoke. "W-well, up until recently, there was a ban on marrying someone of the same gender... it was highly debated for years whether the holy texts referred to marriage as a union meant for procreation, or a union meant to foster love and unity."

Bakura nearly halted in his tracks. "Hold up- so you feather-dusters all look down on demons for judging a fighting spirit to determine a mate, yet _you_ focus solely on genitalia?!" The fiend snorted in disbelief as they marched on. "You really are a bunch of hypocritical snobs- you know that, right?"

"...it was a high point of contention for many years. Some considered it tantamount to criminal to engage in such a... 'non-fertile' relationship."

"Falling in love with someone's soul instead of their lower parts is a crime up there?" Bakura flatly sneered.

"We did not take the matter lightly!" The young angel replied unusually sharply. "Eventually the idea nearly started a civil war. Then King Solomon ascended, and he declared the romantic love between any two consenting angels (of age, of course) to be acceptable."

"Just _two_? You mean you don't practice poly-amorous relationships?"

"What?!" Ryou's eyes widened in pure shock, as though he'd never even _considered_ such a possibility. " **N-no!** That is considered 'unfaithfulness', and is certainly not allowed!"

Evidently the fiend was starting to enjoy the Upperlander's stunned expressions, and he continued mocking his charge. "So, you think two cloud-kissers can love each other, but not three or four?"

The shocked gasp he got in return was amusing enough.

"How can you share your one heart between so many?!" The shorter male shook his head from side to side. "You cannot equally divide your adorations amongst a crowd!"

The raised eyebrow returned as the demon teasingly remarked, "oh? Have you ever _tried_?"

Ryou stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth open in a perfect circle of shock. But before he could regain his senses, there was another startling rebuke.

" _Ow!"_ The cherub gasped as he was suddenly struck on the right side of his face by a small object.

Bakura glared downwards at a freshly-tossed pebble. The small rock had come from the other side of the path, where three young male demons were now standing and snickering. Evidently they were making fun of the other-worldly being, as they began making 'halos' with their fingers as they laughed.

"Tch- foolish little brats..." The annoyed guard then glanced at his charge. "I take it you'll live?"

"It's alright- I'll be fine." Suddenly the enthusiasm and fervor from before had disappeared from the angel's tone; and his voice lowered to a dull and nearly-inaudible whisper. "Maybe we should just go..."

"..." But the short-tempered combatant wasn't as easily persuaded. "I'll handle this. Stay here."

"Eh?!" Ryou watched as the taller male began stalking towards the three youths. His wings suddenly unfurled in a dramatic show of fury, and the trio seemed to panic before they ran off in different directions. Bakura stood, glaring as he made a mental note of their physical descriptions. 'Probably not worth reporting to the King, but nevertheless...' His dark wings slowly folded up as he made his way back to the subdued angel. "I doubt they'll bother you again."

The still-quiet cherub nodded. "Thank you."

Confused by the gratitude, the fiend blankly remarked: "it's what I was 'assigned' to do, remember?"

"I know. But still, you have my thanks."

'Tch... oddball Upperlanders...' But the red-eyed demon hid his confusion with another statement. "We should head back soon- I can just spot my favorite flint seller's stand from here. We'll be back before dinner."

Ryou only smiled in agreement as he followed after his bemused guard.

Less than an hour later, Ryou found himself being guided to the main feasting hall of the demon king's castle. The angel was surprised at the invitation to join the other fiends, but evidently King Yami himself had requested it.

'But _why_? I thought I was mostly a prisoner here... will there even be anything I can eat at a supper for demons?' He watched as the hall's ceilings seem to grow higher and higher, the vaulted arches strengthened with careful stonework and sturdy, polished columns.

"We're almost there." Bakura remarked nonchalantly. Sure enough, they turned one last corner and found an enclave with a set of imposing mahogany doors. Though they seemed immensely heavy, Bakura opened the pair with ease. " _This_ is the dining area." He added unnecessarily. Ryou only nodded as the open doors revealed a massively crowded room. The mess hall was filled with demons of every shape and color, but they all fell silent as the Upperlander appeared. A faint whispering grew as the nervous angel tried to ignore the looks he was getting. His guard didn't seem to even notice, and he urged his charge onto an open bench-style seat near the far wall of the room.

Ryou took his seat, noting the reactions of the other diners around him. The other fiends seemed to either fall silent or outright ignore the foreign newcomer at their table. Keeping his eyes low, he scanned the table for something leafy and green. He was disappointed to find that most of the fare was quite similar (if not as grandly presented) to the feast that Pegasus had thrown them.

'Oh dear... I should have asked Bakura if we could grab some of the celery from my room first...' The now-exhausted cherub sighed as his plate remained empty. He could see nothing within his reach that wasn't meat. Meanwhile, his bodyguard was already digging into what looked like a plate of breaded chicken wings and thighs.

"Um, Bakura?" Ryou hastily whispered towards the distracted champion. "Do- do you think I might find some garnishes or something in the kitchen? There's not much out here that I can ingest..."

The fiend paused in the middle of ripping apart a particularly large wing. "Hn? Oh." He swallowed a mouthful of poultry before adding, "sure, go for it." He grabbed another wing before pointing towards the back of the hall, where a more modest set of doors seemed to open to the kitchen. Ryou paused, hoping his protector might escort him, but evidently the fiend was too engaged in his carnivorous fare.

'Alrighty then... I suppose I can do this...' The angel nervously stood up and tried to shimmy his way past the other benches. He could feel the cold stares of the surrounding demons sinking into his back. Several fiends even tried to trip him up by putting a foot out, but he nimbly avoided them. 'So much for improving my popularity...'

Ryou breathed a sigh of relief as he reached the gallery doors. 'I hope I can find a sympathetic chef...' The cookery seemed to be bustling with activity- evidently demons ate in multiple courses- and Ryou didn't want to bother anyone who looked busy. Yet he had barely made it past the doors, when he was violently yanked off his feet and thrown through a single door on the right.

" _WHA-!"_ The stunned angel gasped as he found himself in what seemed to be a garbage-removal alley. The small, dingy space stunk like rotten flesh, and had very little light. He could tell there were others surrounding him, but the sudden ambush left him too dizzy to make out anything specific.

"Ulp!" The tiny cherub let out a strangled note as a large hand wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. He was then slammed against a cold, stone wall by the same mitt.

"Heh- well isn't this interestin'?" The large demon currently holding the dangling angel let out a nasty chortle. "Looks like the last war wasn't enough for this dumb cloud-sucker- he wants a taste of demon pummeling for himself!"

Ryou tried to swallow, but the grip on his throat didn't lessen. "Plea-urk! Please! I don't want-ERK!" He gasped as his vision began to return. There were roughly five or six demons in the alley, and all of them were looking at him like he was a pound of flesh. The one choking him seemed to be the group's unofficial 'leader', and he his dark umber wings were unfurled behind his short, black hair.

"I hear yer related to that Akefia bastard, right? The 'strongest' of all you cloud-pansies?" A younger, teal-winged demon smacked him harshly across the face. "Go on- show us how an angel elite fights! Com'on!"

The terrified cherub shook his head frantically. " _No_ , no, _no_! I'm not a warrior angel! I don't even know _how_ to fight!"

" _Not a warrior_?!" The entire group of underworlders started laughing and jeering. The same teal-winged demon laughed the loudest. "Then what use are you, you pathetic piece of trash?!"

The angel winced as the crude being grabbed his left wing. The fiend pulled harshly, but the enchanted clamps kept the appendage from extending.

"Hey, d'you think its wings would grow back if I cut them off?"

Ryou whimpered in horror. The twisted demon laughed as he pulled out a rather vicious blade. Its serrated edge glistened dangerously in the low lighting.

"P-p-please sir, I beseech you; do not destroy my wings!" The little angel was struggling not to panic as the surrounding fiends began riling up.

There was another round of foul laughter while the various demons shouted out suggestions.

"Ya hear that? He 'beseeches' us!"

"Oy, if you cut them, the King might get mad- just snap them in half!"

"Or pluck all its feathers out!"

'Oh no...' Ryou felt the tears starting to fall as he realized this might very well be his end. ' _Please_...'

Meanwhile, back in the mess hall, Bakura was just finishing off his third serving when he felt something shudder through his body.

'Huh?' The demon warrior frowned. 'That feeling... that voice... that wasn't...?' He paused but felt no further disturbance. 'Hn...no, I just drank too much wine.'

" _Please... **don't**! Help! Somebody, **please** , **HELP** **!** "_

Bakura immediately stood up and slammed his palms on the table. The other diners stared at the outburst, but the pale warrior offered no explanation. Without a word, he ran from the hall.

'That was _Ryou_ screaming, no doubt; but why the hell is he freaking out like that?!'

He quickly checked the kitchens, but apparently the angel never even made it that far. His gaze drifted to the back door, which was still slightly open...

Meanwhile, the little angel was struggling not to cry as he was pummeled by multiple demons.

"What a useless freak- why don't we see how those healing powers of yours work, eh?"

The same brute from before placed his blade next to the angel's face. Ryou tried to turn his head away, but he still felt the blade dance across his skin before piercing his cheek. Warm, scarlet blood began oozing down the tender skin.

"AH! _**NO!**_ " The angel's horrified cries were interrupted by a rough fist to the face.

The dark assailant growled. "Shut up, or yer throat's next!"

"Funny- I believe it is _**your**_ throat that is most endangered right now."

A furious figure was standing just behind the group, leering at the troublemakers.

"B-Bakura!" The overconfident mob suddenly grew motionless with fear.

The white-haired fiend was in no mood for their cringing, and he snarled. _"Who_ the _f*ck do you_ think you _are?!"_ He pointed at the pale figure squirming in panic. " **I** was charged with the task of watching over that brat, and now he's covered in blood and bruises!" Without warning, he slammed his fist into the face of the demon with the knife. "Are you _trying_ to make me look bad? As though I make for an inadequate guard?!" He glared and gave each member of the mob a vicious look. The other fiends started nervously backing away. "If you want to take me down, you'd better come up with a better plan. Now, _**g**_ _ **et the hell out of here**_ \- touch my captive again and I'll show you how easily _your own_ wings can be razed!"

The mobbing demons hastily apologized before running back to the safety of the stone halls.

"Tch." The annoyed fiend turned to his charge. The small angel was now sitting on the ground, his head bent and his knees clutched tightly to his chest. He hiccuped occasionally, and there were warm, clear tears falling down his bloodied face.

"Hey."

But there was no response.

"Hey."

The slender cloud-dweller didn't flinch.

" **Hey!"**

Finally, the smaller male turned his head and looked upwards.

Bakura was shocked to see just how miserable the other being looked. His left eye was rapidly swelling, and there were countless bruises on his arms and neck.

"You alright?"

Embarrassed and afraid, the timid angel didn't answer. He just lowered his head until his forehead was flush with his knees. He then started trembling.

'Oh... crap.'


	13. Facing Fallout

While Bakura stared at the trembling figure, he heard a familiar voice cry out to him.

"Bakura? What's going- wait, _is that the angel?!_ What the hell happened?!" Marik's pitch rose as he took in the whole gory scene.

Bakura gave a quick explanation of what he'd witnessed. The other demon nodded soberly, before wordlessly walking up to the trembling angel. Bakura watched in bafflement as his ally suddenly unfurled his large wings. Demons rarely let their wings out unless they were planning to fly- or wanted to intimidate an enemy. But incredibly, Marik sat down next to the scared angel. He shifted his arms, and his wings followed the movement. The dark, leathery appendages slowly wrapped their way around both the tanned demon and the pale angel.

Bakura could just faintly hear Marik saying something in an unusually soft voice. It sounded like he was comforting the heavenly being.

Several minutes went by, and slowly, very slowly; Marik's gentle murmuring trailed off, only to be replaced with Ryou's light snoring.

"What..."

"Shhh." Marik interrupted his old friend. One of his wings shifted slightly, and Bakura saw that the angel was indeed, fast asleep in his crazed friend's arms.

The normally loud fiend kept his voice at a whisper. "He'll heal faster, now that he's asleep. But he should still have someone look after those wounds."

Bakura peered down in disbelief. "Marik, how-?"

"That's how angels comfort one another. They wrap their wings around each other and speak softly."

"But how the hell did _you_ know-"

"Shhh!" Marik covered the furious caretaker's mouth with one palm. "Don't wake him! I'll carry him back up to his room in a few minutes."

"..." Unsure how to handle things, the smaller fiend glanced away in disbelief. 'S***... I let this happen... dammit!' His crimson eyes closed for a moment, but his inner reflection was soon thwarted when he heard a familiar, metallic sound coming near.

Bakura nearly groaned as he saw two armored guards approaching them from the open end of the alley. The shorter stooge he didn't know, but the taller fiend wore a grin of barely-concealed delight.

"Bakura." The lankier guard smirked as he addressed the other warrior. His low bangs of dark-green hair didn't quite cover his dancing, maroon eyes.

"Balthem." Bakura retorted shortly. He could guess why a personal messenger of the king was here, but he knew that this particular fiend would take great pleasure in drawing things out.

Sure enough, Balthem took a long, slow glance at the overall scene. To be fair, it was quite an impressive sight. Rubbish boxes were overturned and broken; two silver knives lay forgotten in the upturned gravel; several small puddles of blood were splattered about; and then there was Marik, still wrapped around the now-unconscious cherub.

"Tsk- tsk. What a mess." The emerald-maned demon snorted as he watched Bakura's expression turn from irate to enraged. "Hmm, I suppose it's rather apparent; but our king wishes to speak with you in the throne room. _NOW_."

Evidently Balthem was taking great pleasure in ordering about the (normally) higher-ranked warrior. Demonic society had a few positions where other skills (namely, intellect and speed) were most valued; but generally a king's court was ranked by physical strength. The only exceptions being his advisor/s and long-distance messengers.

But now, Bakura's own standing might be in jeopardy- a fact that Balthem was deeply relishing. The two hot-tempered fiends had clashed several times in their youth, and not always in mentor-sanctioned fights. Those battles were clearly unforgiven by the pair, even in the present day.

"I see." Bakura gave a tense nod, trying not to give his old rival any satisfaction as he replied, "then I suppose I can find my way there." He made to move for the grimy scullery door, when he found his way blocked by both the guards.

Balthem's grin widened as he gestured to his partner. "Oh, never fear- we shall _gladly_ escort you straight to his majesty. After all, we wouldn't want you getting lost, n _ow would we_?"

Bakura gave one last glance at Marik and his charge before turning back to the smarmy messenger. "Of course not- after all, you're clearly wearing new chain-mail; we certainly don't need to swing by the alchemy lab and see if any of your old armor still remains!"

The pale warrior was pleased to see his rival's facade drop ever-so-slightly- evidently Balthem still remembered the time Bakura had stolen his training armor and melted it down inside a magically-enhanced caldron. Their year's sword-training instructor had punished _him_ for losing the expensive materials...

"Tch... we'll see if you're even declared _fit_ to _weave_ chain-mail after the king gets through with you!" The irritated courier hissed at his now-pleased adversary.

"Sure, sure- lead the way, 'messenger.'" Bakura felt his nerve returning to him as he was led through the castle towards the throne room. Nothing more was said as they wove through the stone corridors, although a passing guard did explain that Marik had brought the angel up to his 'guest' room.

'At least that's settled-' Bakura let out a sigh he didn't realize he'd been holding in. 'Still, looks like I owe that bronzed clod a few drinks the next time we're down at the pub.'

"We're here." Balthem abruptly declared as the looming doors of the throne room came into view. He gave a simpering look at his charge as he mockingly added: "oh, and don't you worry; I think we all know how _fond_ of you our king is."

Bakura only snorted and waved him off with one hand. "Wow- it took you all that trip to come up with that one, huh?"

Balthem's face turned a ruddy hue as he stomped away, cursing under his breath and leaving the smaller messenger to chase after him.

There was a laugh rising in Bakura's throat, but it was promptly quashed when he stepped into the massive throne room. 'D*mn, why do I always end up in this stupid place?!'

At the far end of the most ornate room in the castle were two figures deep in conversation. Evidently

King Yami was in the middle of a serious discussion with his advisor, Sir Seto. Bakura could guess the topic, and he stayed standing near the large doors, waiting for his name to be called.

'Dammit...' The proud fighter hated being summoned like a dog; but it was particularly grating to have it done by someone far weaker than himself. Oddly enough, the society of demons held only one thing above physical capability, and that was sovereign providence. In other words, those born into the royal bloodline were almost never disobeyed, regardless of any personal character flaws.

' _Many_ flaws, in this case...' The white-haired fiend thought darkly. 'Honestly, if it wasn't for his father's eccentric methods, I'd swear that scrawny, sympathy-guided wuss was actually an _angel_ in a dark camouflage...'

" **Bakura."**

The so-called demon scowled as he strode up the long carpet to the throne. Everyone knew he was hardly the king's favorite soldier, but being one of the strongest fighters in the kingdom ensured that they interacted fairly often.

 _(_ _Though o_ _f course, that didn't mean that either of the pair had to like it)._

"Yes, my liege?" Bakura's voice was dripping with insincerity, but the king let it slide.

"I have just received a most troubling report from Sir Seto- evidently a group of thugs assaulted our diplomatic guest and injured him quite badly." The shrouded monarch paused before continuing his declaration. " **You** are the one who was tasked with protecting the angel. Why weren't you there?"

The crimson-eyed fiend scowled and folded his arms, defiant even in the face of hard scrutiny. "The foreign flier refuses to eat any meat. He went to the kitchen to find some garnishes or something. Apparently the rogues dragged him out the back door before I noticed."

"Hmm." The dark ruler nodded, the wispy shadows mimicking his every motion. "Yes, that does fit with what I've been told- but still, the fact remains that we have never hosted an angel in our realm. He is not a prisoner or war, or a captive- but a willing part of the treaty we wish to forge between the Upperlanders and ourselves."

Sir Seto suddenly spoke up, his voice cold and factual. "Such a vicious assault _could_ be considered an act of war. The current truce lies on unsteady grounds, at best. If the heavens are provoked, it could ignite a chain reaction leading to deaths of many of our warriors." The brunette demon frowned as he added: "we've also recently received confirmation that this 'Ryou' was never even considered for the warrior class, making this harsh ambush even more reprehensible."

Bakura felt something in his throat sink. 'But- aren't all angels battle-ready?!'

The King growled in disapproval. "Attacking a non-warrior class entreaty like a pack of savage dogs with blades... now _t_ _hat_ is a truly disgusting display of misconduct. We have fought with the seraphs in the past, true; but I swore to protect that young angel to keep both realms satisfied." The king glanced aside and lowered his tone. "I will not go back on my word because a foolish pack of rogues wanted to start a blood-show." He turned his head towards his advisor. "Sir Seto, you said you finished your investigation- tell me, do you know which demons were involved?"

The tall advisor easily repeated five titles.

The dark leader was immediately incensed- he recognized those names as long-time offenders. "I warned those five that I would not tolerate any further offenses on their part." The demonic ruler turned to a small, golden funnel on the throne's left arm rest that served as a communications system. He barked into the gilded pipe. "Guard! I have the names of the perpetrators. Sir Seto will recite them to you in a moment, then I want you to send for those wretched fools- I wish to decide their punishment." He turned back to the pale warrior while the advisor shared the names. "While that's being handled- where is the angel now?"

Bakura gave a small cough before answering. "Marik carried him to his assigned room. The angel was unconscious at the time, but I doubt he will suffer long after witnessing his healing skills first-hand."

"Marik?" The cloud-covered ruler nearly groaned- there was no doubt that Marik was one of the strongest, wildest demons to ever grace the Underlands, but to entrust him with such a delicate task... "I see... and you truly believed he was the best choice for that undertaking?"

The pale demon resisted rolling his eyes as he dryly replied. "I was quite astonished myself, but yes; evidently he _does_ know the meaning of 'restraint' and 'patience.'"

For some reason the mental image of Marik carrying the unconscious cherub up the stony steps- with the angel's lolling head bumping against every railing post- was stuck in King Yami's head. But it was pointless to argue the matter further, as the cherub was surely either in his bed, safe and sound; or else he had likely been driven into an incurable coma.

'Either way, further status checks will have to wait until tomorrow.' The exhausted noble raised one hand to dismiss his most sarcastic warrior, only to find that Bakura had already left the room.

With a sigh, the young monarch stood up, eager to stretch his tense back. 'Hm- whoever said that 'we kings hold power over everything' was evidently NOT ruling over any of _that_ one's bloodline...' The weary leader then decided it was past time he retired to his own bed- and luckily, he wouldn't require anyone to carry him.


	14. Unusually Understanding

The mostly-empty castle hall on the upper floor of the Eastern spire seemed unusually quiet.

Three days had passed since the 'incident' outside the dining hall.

And the captive named 'Ryou' still wasn't talking. At all.

And for some reason that worried his pale, demonic guard.

Demons fought constantly- they were physically inclined beings, and they considered fighting natural- healthy, even. It meant testing your limits, exercising your brain and your body, and boosting the spirit.

But angels were different- not all angels liked fighting, and only some were suited for it. It was considered an almost indecent pastime by many Upperlanders; and battles were generally only allowed between consenting comrades, or for educational purposes (like military training).

These cultural differences baffled the fiendish warrior- he couldn't fathom what the cherub was going through.

The vicious assault had fully terrified the slender being. Being a learned-type angel, Ryou never experienced real combat, or even high-level mock battles. He was bullied sometimes as a child; but nothing so very cruel or painfully physical. He was a shy, scholarly youth- and he had no way to deal with such a brutal attack.

He stayed mute for several days, and did not eat even when he was brought fresh greens. His healing was delayed as a result of the consequential malnutrition. A deep shadow grew under his eyes, and his caged wings seemed to lose some of their healthy sheen.

Bakura was currently pacing the hall outside the 'guest's' closed door, unsure what needed to be done. He'd never found a demon that wasn't immediately pleased by the opportunity to exact physical revenge. Yet when he suggested the angel face his attackers in a court-sanctioned battle, Ryou started shivering and ducked his head lower into his chest.

'It's not like it wouldn't be one-on-one then... or do angels not have court-enforced combat?' The bewildered guard nearly yelled when he turned and found himself about to crash into a very dark-skinned fiend. "Marik! What-"

"How is he?" The muscular blonde glanced towards the sealed room with a quizzical look.

Two scarlet eyes blinked in defeat. "How the **** would I know?!" Bakura hissed, his frustrations finally showing through. "He refuses to speak even a single utterance! Even when I offered him the chance to pummel his attackers, he still remained silent!"

Marik snorted. "You really have no clue how to talk to others, do you?"

Bakura glared. "The hell would I want to?!"

The blonde gave an exasperated sigh. "He's _scared,_ dumb*ss. You _know_ he doesn't know how to fight- and then he gets the crap kicked out of him by a large group of pissed-off demons? While he's being kept a captive in _their_ realm?"

The other fiend paused. "So, angels don't all train for combat?"

Marik shrugged. "Not sure- I think some of them just stick with plants and books and stuff. It's weird, but I guess they find the weaker ones are better suited to other tasks."

Bakura nodded. "So that's why they have fewer warriors in their armies... they only pick the strongest. Hm." The pale demon began mumbling to himself. "But what they lose in numbers they can make up for in skill... the weaker ones do not distract them or drag them down..."

Being the two strongest warriors in the demon realm, both Marik and Bakura had a fair knowledge of combat strategies.

But Marik was far less interested in strategic details right now. He brusquely grabbed Bakura's shoulders and forcibly turned him around. "Tch, just shut up and listen to him! And be nice for once, *sshole!" The bronzed guard gave a hard shove towards the doors, and Bakura snarled.

"Alright, _alright_! Jerk." The 'babysitter' scowled as he heard his comrade's heavy footsteps echoing off the stone halls. He turned back to glance at the thick, iron-and-wooden door and cursed to himself. "Dammit." As he reached for the aged handle, he felt an unexpected sense of trepidation.

'Wait- why do _I_ feel so nervous?! It's just a pathetic little cloud-kisser; already injured and frightened.'

Yet the uncomfortable feelings remained as the guard pushed the barrier open and addressed his charge.

"Hey."

Ryou flinched from his spot on the bed, but didn't speak. The bed-covers were wrapped tightly around his slim form.

Bakura stepped into the room, trying to hide his awkwardness. 'Crap, what do I do now...' Ill at ease, he decided to do the only thing that seemed to make sense- and sat down on the bed next to the shrouded bundle.

"Er, King Yami is going to personally handle the creeps who assaulted you-" the angel flinched again, "-so you don't need to worry about facing them in court."

"..."

"I'm guessing you angels have a court system of some sort?"

"..."

Bakura thought he saw a faint nodding motion from beneath the bedsheets, but he wasn't sure. "Ah. Well, here in the Underlands, if someone causes you undue harm; we allow you to beat up your attacker/s in a court-sanctioned battle. Sort of an 'eye for an eye' thing."

This was followed by more trembling, but no vocalizations.

Trying to follow his friend's advice, Bakura hesitantly posited another answerable query. "Er, what do angels do, then?"

"..." At first, Bakura thought his gambit had failed, and he was pondering leaving the angel to his self-imposed isolation when he heard a faint sound.

Ryou's voice was soft and rather ragged from disuse, but he spoke clearly nonetheless. "We- we do not encourage violence to solve any matters of dissension... instead, we impose a different sort of penalization; namely either a prison sentence, or a monetary fine, or even community service. Fighting is not allowed without good reason, and random brawls are outright forbidden."

The demon warrior felt his eyes widen in shock- evidently, Marik had been right! 'First time for everything...' he reflected wryly before speaking. "So, uh, I always thought all angels were fighters."

The distraught cherub shook his head clumsily. "No... although my father and brother are very strong."

"You mean... Akefia?" Bakura frowned. He'd heard mention that the two angels were somehow related, but the physical differences between them were as obvious as they were questionable.

Evidently the angel could sense the disbelief in his guardian's tone. He gave a faint sigh and allowed the blankets to slip down past his pale neck. "Technically, he's my half-brother- our father is a very powerful **angel** , and his mother was also a strong warrior. But..." the angel paused, "...she died... in the 'incident' at the Northern peaks long ago."

'The Incident' of Northern Peaks was a small border skirmish that had turned deadly. A good number of angels and demons had died that day, and in the end it amounted to nothing more than a petty misunderstanding. It was considered a senseless tragedy by both sides.

"For years, he and father mourned. But then father fell in love with my mother. She was far more gentle, and had no inclinations towards battle. She was of very pale skin, and she had eyes like mine. She was absolutely beautiful."

'That explains the visual differences between the pair...' "Wait- you mentioned that she 'was'?"

Ryou nodded again, his eyes half-lidding for a moment. Several warm tears slipped down his face. "She died when I was very small... it was an unusual illness that only happens once every so many black suns."

The demon tiled his head in confusion. "Black suns?"

"Um, I think you call it a 'solar eclipse?'"

"Ah."

"And I... I always took after her, and was never even trained in combat." The cherub looked gloomily into the distance. "No-one ever saw my father- or my brother- in me. So, I became a scholar and focused my energies on protecting the knowledge of our people." A smile began to grow on the tear-stained face. "I do love it, though- I cannot imagine another task I would be more pleased to keep."

Bakura nearly stuck out his tongue in displeasure- he could hardly think of a more boring task! But at least he'd gotten his charge to speak again.

"I see..."

Ryou turned his gaze fully towards his protector. "Um, I failed to mention this earlier, but-" he gave his defender a brief nod, "t-thank you. For... saving me. And for listening."

Bakura snorted. "Trust me, those dumb*sses won't hurt you again. King Yami made sure of that." With a groan, the demon felt his back crack as he stretched before standing up. "Now, what do you say to a hot bath and a good meal? I suspect you could use both."

Unsure if that last phrase was meant to be a joke or not, the angel nodded quietly. "Yes, I believe you're right. Will you be acting as my personal guard again?"

"I can wait outside the bathing room this time." The demon shrugged as he scratched at a spot on his chin. "I think you've proven yourself trustworthy by now."  
"Oh." There was a tiny hint of disappointment in the smaller being's voice. "Um, alright- but I do not wish for you to get in trouble, and I-I am not averse to your company." He admitted shyly.

Bakura felt his eyebrows rising as he noted the slender being's hushed words. "Alright. I could use some relaxing hydration myself. Let's go."

The faint smile growing on Ryou's face was reassuring, but the fiendish guard couldn't help but ponder the angel's enthusiasm towards his company.

'Is he trying to keep me from further reprisal, or...?'


	15. Murderous Mirage

Over the next few days, the angel's wounds healed- a little slowly at first, but as his strength (and appetite) returned, he began acting more and more like himself. Bakura dutifully brought his charge his specially-ordered meals from the kitchen. Feeling a tinge of guilt, he decided hand-delivering the leafy abominations to the guest room was the least he could do. 'Less chance of some *ss poisoning this cr*p- although I'm not entirely convinced you can poison this garbage any more than it already seems...' He stuck his tongue out in distaste. 'I don't even recognize half of this junk! What the heck are those round orange bits?! And that clump looks like a bit of road-side grass- are angels part steer or something?!' Still, the demonic bodyguard held back his snarky comments, instead focusing on aiding the angel he was assigned to protect.

"Ah, that looks scrumptious! Thank you, Bakura!" Ryou gratefully took the silver platter from the fiendish escort. "I must confess; the chives here are _much_ more flavorful than the ones in the Upperlands! I suspect it's something to do with the iron content in the soil..."

"Yeah, yeah. Just eat up already." After days of (self-imposed) isolation, Ryou seemed to be trying to speak almost non-stop- as though making up for lost time. The brawnier of the pair wasn't terribly pleased with this change- the dead silence had been unnerving, sure; but to then switch to non-stop chatter?! It was baffling, but he had little choice but to endure it. 'Still... it's not half as inane as Marik's ramblings... I swear that fool's taken too many hits to the skull during training practice-'

There was a sudden knock on the door, and both of the white-haired males jumped. Ryou nearly dropped his salad fork, but Bakura only turned to scowl at the barrier. The pale warrior then bluntly shouted: "Who is it?!"

A young male voice sounded from somewhere in the hallway. "Messenger Isciott, with an urgent message from the king himself!"

Bakura paused for only a moment before opening the door, revealing a demonic courier. The messenger was kneeling on the stone tiles just outside the door, while brandishing a freshly-inked scroll. He had faintly green-tinted skin, and a short, lizard- like tail which he was plainly using to balance as he knelt on the floor. His rowan-hued wings were rather short and stunted- probably incapable of true flight.

"I bring a most pressing communique from his royal highness: 'Bakura. I must speak with you and Sir Seto immediately, regarding a most... distressing matter. Please come to the throne room at once. Postscript: Bring the angel if you can.'" The moss-colored youth bowed his head when he had finished.

Ryou glanced confusedly at his guard- why on Earth would the king need him in attendance as well?

Bakura seemed to regard the courier for a moment, before nodding in apparent acceptance. "Hm. Dismissed."

The younger fiend jumped up and scurried off with great haste. Evidently he still had more summons to fulfill. Ryou watched in curiosity as the tailed demon raced off towards another segment of the castle.

"Um, Bakura? Can... can I ask if you know what this is about?"

"You can ask, but I doubt I can answer." The demonic combatant was now leaning against the door frame with a distracted look in his eyes. His right hand was still resting thoughtfully against his chin. "King Yami is eccentric, yes; but he certainly doesn't use the word 'urgent' on a whim. Which means something's wrong." He let out a faint grunt as he pushed off the wooden frame. "Are you ready for a trip to the throne room?"

"Er, I think so- are we going now?"

Bakura sighed as he glanced down the now-empty hallway. "Probably should. As much as I love p*ssing the king off, this sounds like some serious sh*t."

Ryou flinched every time his keeper cursed, but didn't comment on the profanity. "I-I see."

Bakura snorted to himself in amusement. 'What an absurdly prudish race- wonder what they say when they drop something heavy on their feet.' "Then let's go."

But King Yami was engaged when they arrived at the long throne room. A rather muscular guard was speaking to the fog-covered leader in quiet tones, his expression strained with concern. Sir Seto was already standing by the raised dais when the pale duo stepped through the large doors. He briefly nodded towards his fellow demon, but seemed to hardly notice the cherub. Ryou felt the same awkward insecurities rising inside his mind. Here he was; a weak, non-warrior class angel standing in the demonic lord's court.

True, King Yami wasn't a spiteful war-veteran out for seraphic blood; but there was still no denying that Ryou was a strange prisoner in this realm. His shackled wings served as a constant reminder of his desperate promise. 'Still...' the sorrowful cloud-chaser sighed, '-so long as my brother is alright... I will keep my word.'

King Yami suddenly stood up, waving off the guard he had been listening to. "I see- thank you, Ezchaum. You may resume your other duties now. Sir Seto, Bakura-" Here the smoky figure turned its attention towards the newcomers, "-a most serious matter has just been brought to my attention." The swirling, dark mists protecting the monarch seemed to moving about faster, as though agitated. "You know the training camp near the base of the Hiltaum mountains?"

Sir Seto and Bakura both nodded while Ryou reflected on this statement. 'Apparently they have military encampments much like ours... but are they for preemptive education, or something else...?'

But the hidden king seemed to deflate as he related the story he'd just heard. "A young, male trainee named Natsuga was reported missing from his garrison yesterday... he'd gone out drinking with his fellow soldiers two nights earlier, and they lost track of him. His friends covered for his absence the day before, but became concerned when he did not show up for the drills later today. We sent out a few canvassing patrols, and one group eventually found him in a rocky area not far from the cliffs of Taorus."

"And that's of concern to Sir Seto and myself, because-?" Bakura trailed off mockingly. Evidently he was not impressed with the reason behind their 'urgent' summons.

But the dark monarch didn't flinch. "It's of concern to _all_ of us because when they found him, he had already been savagely mutilated into a mangled corpse- sliced in half by a blade that burned into the very edges of his flesh and bones."

Ryou let out an unprompted gasp of fright as he imagined the young warrior's fate. 'How dreadful...'

But the other two summoned males were much more methodical, and they asked in almost perfect unison, " _burned_ _?_ "

The shadowy figure nodded drearily. "Yes- it was almost as though they used a weapon wrapped in a fabric soaked with an accelerant, yet no trace of cloth or oil was found on or near the body. The camp's head commanders are utterly baffled. I was hoping that you might have some knowledge of what could cause such a disturbing injury to a healthy, trained fighter like Natsuga."

There was a moment of silence, but then Ryou surprised everyone by slowly raising his hand. The shrouded monarch nodded in his direction, and he took this as permission to speak. "Erm, your highness? Um, if I may humbly posit one query... if you ignored the fact that the body's trauma was, erm, 'seared'- would it look like the wound from an angel blade?"

Though the others could not see it, King Yami raised one eyebrow beneath his misty veil in impressed acknowledgment. "You _are_ indeed clever- yes, I would say that the stroke and angle of the cut would implicate an Upperlands warrior. But seeing as how _you_ are our only foreign resident, and do not seem ( _forgive my bluntness_ ) terribly combat-inclined..."

'Nor do I hold an angel blade!' Ryou silently reminded himself. "No, I am certainly not a warrior; but there is one other possibility that comes to mind... is there any chance the unlucky trainee stumbled across a wraith?"

The three fiends blinked and exchanged bewildered glances (or at least those not covered by a dense fog did).

"A... _wraith_?" King Yami curiously asked, prompting Ryou to dip his head in confirmation.

Sir Seto said nothing, but Bakura openly snorted in chastisement. "You think this is funny? Messing with us like this? Give me a d*mn break- how in the hells would a bunch of _sticks_ cut a demon soldier in half?!"

But the angel clearly wasn't joking. "Not a _wreath_ \- a **wraith**. A vengeful manifestation of unfulfilled essence from a high-class seraphim, that has bound itself to one particular land-plot, whereupon it exacts its wrath upon any unwary opposition?"

The tall advisor, Seto, finally spoke up. "I'm not sure we're even familiar with such a being. I suspect this is a cultural belief, only shared amongst other angels."

But Ryou shook his head with a more somber gaze. "It's far from just a 'belief', I'm afraid. No, there have been recorded incidents of angelic wraiths going back eons... almost as long as our races have been warring..." At this the cherub's gaze grew slightly dazed, and he placed one hand against his chin. "Pray tell me, your majesty; are there any past battlegrounds in that same area? Namely, a field of great bloodshed left over from the last war?"

The stoic king nodded. "There is one that comes to mind- the 'Valley of the Dead'. Towards the end of the war, a very vicious battle took place when a flock of angels managed to open a small portal to our realm. They were able to take our forces by utter surprise. We lost many in that fight, and I can only assume the same is true for your race."

The small cherub gave a single nod of distressed confirmation. "Yes..." But no further words left the angel's mouth. Still, he looked deeply disturbed as he silently reflected to himself.

"Any information you have on this matter would be greatly appreciated." The dark ruler quietly prompted. He knew the war was a sensitive subject matter for most demons, much less someone whose family had served on the opposite side of the battlefield...

Ryou struggled to keep his voice from failing as he tried to explain. "During the last stages of the retaliation campaign, every able-bodied angel was called to arms- even though not every angel is trained as a warrior."

"Desperate times..." The demonic ruler muttered ruefully. "Hm, my apologies; please continue."

Ryou nodded before resuming his speech. "Sometimes, if every family member was of age, there were horrible instances where the entire bloodline was lost. But occasionally, there would be _**one**_ sole survivor from a family..." The lighter being gave a faint sigh as he went on. "And sometimes that lone angel, having lost everything; would fall into a deep depression- something which we call ' _the dark stasis_ '. Those in a 'dark stasis' soon lose the will to live; and they refuse to eat, or drink, or even leave their deceased loved one's sides... until they pass on themselves, leaving behind a furious part of their spirit that burns with a vindictive force that can kill even the living."

No one spoke. Even the stoic diplomat Seto seemed stunned by this information. But he eventually cleared his throat and added, "But surely they do not last forever- how does one end their wretched existence?"

The angel swallowed nervously (the brunette's high stature was quite imposing) before explaining. "Well, they cannot be _killed_ _,_ _per se_ (given that, erm; they're already _dead)_ but the spectral remnants of their souls can be dispelled by a specific combination of herbs and incantations. Unfortunately, I do not know if all of the herbs required for this enchantment can be found in this realm... tell me, have you ever heard of Cherrybraid root, Helmswood bark, and Silverwort seeds?" The blank looks the angel received in return gave Ryou the idea to describe the plants' physical qualities, as they might be known under another name in this realm. Yet when he was finished, no one seemed any more familiar with the heavenly herbs.

King Yami frowned as he spoke. "I have no knowledge of such plants, which means they likely do not grow anywhere in the Underlands. Meaning we cannot procure them without at least a fortnight's notice."

"D*mn..." Bakura scowled. He'd never heard of a 'vengeful undead angel' before, but it made sense. 'Might even be the reason behind some of the other mysterious 'disappearances' that have happened in that area before... hm.'

But the rowan-eyed cherub seemed lost in his own mind, and he quietly muttered, "A wraith will never tire, nor will it fade... it will kill again and again, until something dispels it." Ryou then gave a formal bow to the still-seated king. "I dare not impose any action upon your highness; however my angelic knowledge tells me that there will be much bloodshed unless this spirit is found and expunged. It will not tire, and it will not spare any who stumble upon its post."

"Hm." The befogged monarch sounded determined, yet doubtful. "Then we must make haste to find and expunge the spirit, before another innocent bystander is put to death."

Again, the feathered captive nervously raised his right hand. "Um, I studied the plants of the Upperlands for many years, and I recall the full list of ingredients for the spell- if you'll allow me, I'd like to gather what I can from the castle stores and confront the creature."

The entire group fell silent, unsure of this strange prisoner's intent.

'Surely this slave would not be so foolish as to risk his own life for ours?! He must be planning something- perhaps he seeks to strengthen his fallen comrade's essence through a sinister spell!' Seto gave the hidden king a very meaningful glance. The advisor's icy-blue glare spoke volumes: _'We cannot trust this angel!'_


End file.
